Associations Between Moderate- and Vigorous-Intensity Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Depressive Symptoms Among First-Year University Students: A One-Year Longitudinal Study

This study conducted a four-wave longitudinal survey over one academic year to examine the associations between moderate- and vigorous-intensity leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and depressive symptoms among first-year university students, as well as potential gender differences. A total of 456 freshmen (M _age = 18.18, SD = 0.67; 202 males and 254 females) participated in the study. Data were analyzed using latent growth modeling. Results revealed that depressive symptoms were relatively high at the beginning of the first year but showed a slight decline over time, whereas overall LTPA demonstrated an upward trajectory across the academic year. Parallel process latent growth model indicated that vigorous-intensity LTPA was significantly associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms (β = -0.441, p = 0.002), whereas the association for moderate-intensity LTPA was not statistically significant (β = -0.278, p = 0.071). Additionally, female students exhibited significantly lower baseline levels of both moderate- and vigorous-intensity LTPA compared to males; however, gender did not moderate the associations between LTPA and depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the importance for universities and public health practitioners to design interventions that are stage-specific, intensity-matched, and sensitive to gender-related participation barriers. Trial registration Clinical trial number: not applicable.