The Effect of Exercise on Self-Esteem and Happiness of Operating Room Students

Abstract

Objective: Physical activity increases mental health, enhances feelings of worth, reduces depression, and increases mental strength. This study aimed to determine the effect of exercise on the self-esteem and happiness of operating room students. Methods: This research is a quasi-experimental study. The Participants were 80 undergraduate students in the operating room of Arak University of Medical Sciences. After obtaining written consent, the subjects were selected by convenience sampling and randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups (40 students in each group). The experimental group walked 30 minutes per day for eight weeks. The self-esteem and happiness of both groups were measured before and after the intervention using the Rosenberg self-esteem questionnaire and the Oxford happiness questionnaire. The obtained data were analyzed using an independent t test and paired t test in SPSS v.16 software. Results: The mean scores of self-esteem and happiness before the intervention in the experimental group were 3 ±4.23 and 43.08±19.01, and in the control group were 3.47±4.30 and 39.40±19.48, respectively. After the intervention, The mean scores of self-esteem and happiness were 6 ± 3.85 and 52.16±19.28 in the experimental group and 3.97±4.75 and 41.05±18.80 in the control group. The results showed a significant difference in the experimental group (P <0.05), while in the control group, no significant difference was observed before and after the intervention (P> 0.05). Conclusion: Exercise can play an influential role in increasing students’ self-esteem and happiness, thereby promoting their mental health and improving their quality of life. Therefore, it is recommended that sports programs be held at the university to promote happiness and increase students’ self-esteem.