Anxiety Sensativity Mediates The Relationship Between Exercise Frequency And Anxiety

ASU Author/Contributor (non-ASU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Chelsea Abraham (Creator)
Institution
Appalachian State University (ASU )
Web Site: https://library.appstate.edu/
Advisor
Joshua Broman-Fulks

Abstract: The anxiolytic effects of regular exercise have been well documented, though the mechanisms through which exercise leads to reductions in anxiety remain unclear. In recent years, there has also been mounting research indicating that exercise reduces anxiety sensitivity, or the fear of anxiety sensations, a known vulnerability factor for the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether anxiety sensitivity mediates the relation between exercise frequency and anxiety symtoms in a large community sample of 954 western North Carolina residents. Results indicated that exercise frequency was negatively correlated with anxiety sensitivity and anxiety, and anxiety sensitivity significantly mediated the relation between exercise frequency and anxiety symptoms. These findings provide additional evidence supporting the inverse association between exercise and anxiety, and suggest that anxiety sensitivity is one mechanism through which exercise reduces anxiety. The implications of these findings for clinicians and future research are discussed.

Additional Information

Publication
Thesis
Abraham, C. (2016). "Anxiety Sensativity Mediates The Relationship Between Exercise Frequency And Anxiety." Unpublished Master's Thesis. Appalachian State University, Boone, NC.
Language: English
Date: 2016
Keywords
anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, exercise, mediation

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