Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / Students who transition from school to tertiary institutions can experience stressors which lead
to anxiety and depression. This can be alleviated by exercise. Limited research has been
undertaken about exercise and the alleviation of depression amongst tertiary education students
in South Africa. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of exercise on depression,
anxiety, and self-esteem on first-year students registered at the University of Venda
(UNIVEN). A quantitative approach using a cross-sectional survey design was used. The study
sample consisted of 320 randomly selected first-year students, 160 students who exercised
regularly and 160 students who did not exercise at all. Data was collected using the Rosenberg
Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), The Becks Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and the Becks Depression
Inventory-11 (BDI-11). The study was theoretically underpinned by the trans theoretical model (TTM). Data analysis used both non-inferential and inferential statics that is,
descriptive statistics, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and logistic regression
analysis. The findings supported those found in previous research, both locally and
internationally. The hypotheses of this study were fully supported by the results. Results
pertaining to age and gender in this study revealed that there were no significant differences in
scores. Additionally, respondents that had higher levels of anxiety, due to not exercising, were
linked to pre-contemplation in the TTM. It was determined that these respondents were not
aware of exercise as an intervention to enhance their overall well-being and mental health.
Generally, the research contributes to understandings of the impact of exercise as an
intervention in mental health challenges in first year tertiary education students. The exercise
guidelines developed out of this research will help the Department of Education (DoE),
UNIVEN and tertiary institutions generally in providing exercise interventions to
undergraduate students in the tertiary education sector / National Research Foundation (NRF)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ul/oai:ulspace.ul.ac.za:10386/4237 |
| Date | January 2022 |
| Creators | Tshikovhele, Khodani Lucky |
| Contributors | Govender, S., Nel, K. A. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xv, 143 leaves |
| Relation |
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