Positive impact of practicing the sport on mood in active female during pandemic

Purpose: The research aimed to measure mood states, state anxiety, and self-efficacy in Polish students of Physical Education during another wave of Covid-19. Methods: Analyses involving 64 young and physically active women were conducted to determine whether their sports activity helps them cope with the next stage of the pandemic. Tools used included the Profile of Mood States (POMS), State- Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Beck Depression Inventory, General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), and a short questionnaire on physical activity (PA). Results: Based on the tested relationships, self-efficacy emerged as a negative predictor of depression (R² = .432, P < .05). Higher levels of self-efficacy were associated with greater vigour (R² = .508, P ≤ .01) and lower tendencies towards anger (R² = -.328, P ≤ .01), confusion (R² = -.412, P ≤ .01), depression (R² = -.547, P ≤ .01), fatigue (R² = -.383, P ≤ .01), and tension (R² = -.415, P ≤ .01). Anxiety was predominant in female students who displayed higher levels of depression (R² = .790, P≤ .01), anger (R² = .668, P ≤ .01), and tension (R² = .832, P ≤ .01), in contrast to those with higher self-efficacy and vigour. Additionally, the more time respondents devoted to physical activities—both in terms of duration (R² = .295, P ≤ .05) and frequency (R² = .319, P ≤ .05) the higher their level of vital energy (vigour). Conclusions: The results support the assumption that practicing sport positively impacts mood. In the context of a pandemic threat, they reveal the potential to prevent depression by increasing physical activity.