Impact of a Physical Activity Intervention on Sleep Quality, Mental and Physical Well-Being in Health Sciences Students

N/ANot Yet RecruitingNCT07140185

University of Sfax100 enrolled

Overview

This randomized controlled trial aims to compare the effects of a regular weekly physical activity program versus a "Weekend Warrior" activity pattern on sleep quality, physical well-being, and mental well-being in sedentary university students. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the intervention groups or to a control group and assessed at baseline and after the intervention.

Sedentary behavior is a growing concern among university students and is associated with poor sleep quality, fatigue, and lower mental well-being. Physical activity interventions can improve these outcomes, but the optimal frequency and pattern of activity remain unclear. This randomized controlled trial will evaluate and compare the effects of a regular weekly physical activity schedule with those of a "Weekend Warrior" pattern, in which the recommended amount of exercise is concentrated in two sessions per week. Sedentary university students will be randomly assigned to one of two intervention groups or to a control group for an 8-10 week period. Sleep quality (measured by actigraphy), physical well-being, and mental well-being will be assessed before and after the intervention. The findings of this study may help to inform public health recommendations for physical activity patterns among young adults.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

100

Conditions

Sleep Quality

Interventions

Regular Weekly Physical Activity ProgramBEHAVIORAL

Structured physical activity sessions three times per week, 50 minutes each, over 8 weeks. Includes aerobic exercises, supervised by trained instructors. Goal is to distribute the recommended weekly activity evenly.

Weekend Warrior Physical Activity ProgramBEHAVIORAL

Same total weekly activity as Arm 1, but concentrated in 2 weekend sessions of 75 minutes each. Includes aerobic exercises, supervised by the same trained instructors.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 25 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Aged 18 to 25 years. * Low level of physical activity, determined using the validated International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) according to its scoring thresholds. * Provided written informed consent. * Available to participate in the entire intervention program and all planned assessments. Exclusion Criteria: * Current use of medications that may affect sleep quality or alertness (e.g., sedative hypnotics, sedative antidepressants, psychostimulants). * History of serious medical conditions or any contraindication to moderate physical activity. * Morbid obesity. * Current pregnancy during the study period. * Participation in another intervention program simultaneously.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Sleep Efficiency (Actigraphy)

Sleep efficiency calculated as the ratio of total sleep time to time in bed, expressed as a percentage (%). ≥85% is considered good sleep, \<85% indicates impaired sleep quality. Range: 0-100%. Higher percentages indicate better sleep efficiency.

Time frame: Baseline (Week 0) and Post-intervention (Week 8)

Subjective Sleep Quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI)

Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index total score ranges 0-21. Score ≤5 indicates good sleep quality, \>5 indicates poor sleep quality. Higher scores indicate worse sleep.