افسردگی و پیشرفت تحصیلی در دانشجویان ورزشکار و غیرورزشکار: یک مطالعه مقایسه‌ای

Abstract Background & Aims: Depression is a common mental disorder and physical activity and exercise are the most important ways to prevent and treat it. The aim of this study was to compare depression and academic achievement in athlete and non-athlete university students. Material & Methods: The present study was a comparative cross-sectional study. The population consisted of 375 students (athletes and non-athletes). Participants were selected by multistage sampling and completed the standard Beck Depression Inventory questionnaire. The academic achievement of students evaluated with the average of their scores in past two semester Data analyzed using SPSS software, version18, through descriptive statistics, t-test and Pearson's correlation coefficient with a significance level of P&le;0/05. Results: The results showed that 42% of athletes and 48% of non-athletes students had a various degrees of depression. Significant difference was found between depression in athletes and non-athletes student (P<0/05) but there was no significant difference between academic achievement of these groups (P>0/05). Significant inverse correlation was found also between depression and academic achievement of students (P<0/05). Conclusion: Given the relatively high prevalence of depression among students and the undeniable positive effects of exercise, it is necessary to consider exercise as a strategy for preventing mental illness, decrease the healthcare costs and improve students' academic achievement.