The Influence of Life Events and Psychological Stress on Objectively Measured Physical Activity: A 12-Month Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Background: This study examined how life event occurrences and stressfulness influence objectively measured light through vigorous physical activity (PA) among young adults. Methods: Every 3 months over a 12-month period, 404 healthy young adults completed questionnaires on the occurrence and stress of 16 life events and wore an accelerometer for 10 days. Results: A modest positive relationship was seen between cumulative life event occurrences [between effect: β = 22.2 (9.7) min/d, P = .02] and cumulative stress [between effect: β = 7.6 (2.9) min/d, P = .01] with light through vigorous PA among men. When considering events individually, job change, starting a first job, beginning a mortgage, and changes in a relationship influenced men’s PA. For women, mortgage, starting a first job, job change, and engagement had significant associations. Life event stressfulness influenced PA in women more than in men. For men, stress from changes in a relationship or job positively influenced PA. Stress of a mortgage, quitting a job, changing jobs or a first job influenced women’s PA. Conclusion: Considering each life event individually was more informative than the summation of life events or summation of stress. Specific life events substantially altered PA, and this change varied by gender, direction of association, and PA intensity and duration.