The Relationship between Physical Activity and Mental Health of Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Hospitals in Mazandaran Province

Moradi, Alireza; Hashemi, Seyed Hossein; Alavi, Seyed Hossein; Zolfali Porfar, Fatemeh

doi:10.22111/ijop.2025.52245.1041

The Relationship between Physical Activity and Mental Health of Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Hospitals in Mazandaran Province

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Assistant Professor, Counseling Research of the Social Department of the Police Research, Institute of Police Sciences and Social Studies, Tehran, Iran.

² Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

³ Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Assistant Professor of Department of Technical and Vocational of Mahmoud Abad Bramch of Technical and Vocational University (TVU), Mazandran, Iran.

⁴ PhD Student in Sports Management, Islamic Azad University, Ayatollah Amoli Amol Branch, Amol, Iran.

10.22111/ijop.2025.52245.1041

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between physical activity and mental health among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic in hospitals of Mazandaran Province. This descriptive-applied survey targeted nurses working in these hospitals, using a convenience sampling method. Data were collected through online questionnaires due to the widespread prevalence of COVID-19 and restrictions on hospital visits. A total of 240 male and female nurses completed the mental health and physical activity questionnaires. The reliability of the instruments was confirmed by Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranging from 0.738 to 0.928 across different subscales, and validity was verified by eight experts in psychology and sports management. The results revealed a significant positive relationship between physical activity and overall mental health among nurses during the pandemic. Additionally, physical activity showed significant correlations with specific mental health components, including somatic symptoms, anxiety, social functioning, and depression. These findings suggest that engaging in physical activity may play an important role in supporting nurses’ psychological well-being during health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

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