AccScience Publishing / HPR / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/hpr.0357
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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Association between Exercise and Mental Health Among Emerging Adults: Results from the 2023–2024 Healthy Minds Study

Yanjie Zhang1,2 ,  Shiliang Chen3 ,  Wenjiao Li3*
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1 Physical Education Unit, School of Humanities and Social Science, Chinese University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518172, Guangdong, China
2 Physical Activity and Health Promotion Laboratory, Chinese University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518172, Guangdong, China
3 School of Liberal Arts, Shenzhen City Polytechnic, Shenzhen 518116, Guangdong, China
HPR, 0357 https://doi.org/10.36922/hpr.0357
Received: 2 November 2025 | Revised: 14 February 2026 | Accepted: 31 March 2026 | Published online: 14 May 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Background

Emerging adulthood is a developmentally unstable period with a high burden of depression and anxiety, yet the association between exercise time and mental health in this population remains insufficiently understood.

Objective

The present study aims to investigate the association between exercise time and mental health (depression and anxiety) among emerging adults.

Methods

Data from 37,732 emerging adults aged 18 to 29 were drawn from the 2023–2024 Healthy Minds Study. Self-report exercise habits and mental health outcomes (depression and anxiety) were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression with adjustments for covariates.

Results

The results indicated significant associations between exercise, depression, and anxiety. Compared to participants who exercised less than 1 h per week, those who exercised ≥1 h per week had progressively lower odds of depressive and anxiety symptoms. The lowest odds were observed among those who exercised ≥5 h per week. These protective effects were evident in both males and females during emerging adulthood.

Conclusion

The findings of the present study suggest that incremental exercise is strongly associated with better mental health in emerging adults. Emerging adults who engaged in more exercise had significantly lower risks of depressive (odds ratio [OR] = 0.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.46, 0.57]; p < 0.001) and anxious (OR = 0.64, 95% CI [0.58, 0.71]; p < 0.001) symptoms. These results highlight the necessity of supporting and promoting exercise as an important component of mental health programs in universities or communities. However, future research should include longitudinal and interventional studies to confirm causality and to determine the most effective approach to integrate physical activity into mental health promotion programs.

Keywords
Physical activity
Depression
Anxiety
Emerging adulthood
Funding
This research work was supported by the Humanities and Social Science Projects of the Ministry of Education (Grant ID: 24YJC890073).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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