Niedermeier Martin, Hartl Arnulf, Kopp Martin
Department of Sport Science, University of InnsbruckInnsbruck, Austria.
Institute of Ecomedicine, Paracelsus Medical UniversitySalzburg, Austria.
Front Psychol. 2017 Jul 20;8:1237. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01237. eCollection 2017.
Knowledge about potential protective factors against mental health problems is highly needed. Regular physical activity (PA) in an outdoor environment, like mountain exercising, might reduce psychological distress. Therefore, the aims of the present study were to assess the prevalence of mental health problems in mountain exercisers and to detect factors associated with psychological distress. In a cross-sectional design, we collected self-reported data of 1,536 Austrian mountain exercisers. The prevalence of mental health problems and psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale), the level of PA International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and affective valence during PA (Feeling Scale) were obtained. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to assess factors influencing psychological distress. The prevalence of mental health problems in Austrian mountain exercisers was 14%. Health-enhancing PA level and higher affective valence during PA were significantly associated with lower psychological distress. Minimal PA level was not significantly associated with lower psychological distress compared to inactive PA level. Marital status, education, alpine association membership, and body mass index did not show a significant influence on psychological distress. The prevalence of mental health problems seems to be lower in Austrian mountain exercisers compared to the European population. A health-enhancing PA level and affective valence increasing forms of PA were shown to be associated with lower psychological distress. Results might lead to interventional studies focusing on the potential of outdoor PA, e.g., mountain exercise, as an adjunct treatment in people at risk or with mental health problems.
目前非常需要了解针对心理健康问题的潜在保护因素。在户外环境中进行有规律的体育活动（PA），比如登山运动，可能会减轻心理困扰。因此，本研究的目的是评估登山运动者心理健康问题的患病率，并找出与心理困扰相关的因素。在一项横断面设计中，我们收集了1536名奥地利登山运动者的自我报告数据。获取了心理健康问题和心理困扰的患病率（凯斯勒心理困扰量表）、体育活动水平（国际体力活动问卷）以及体育活动期间的情感效价（情感量表）。进行逐步多元线性回归分析以评估影响心理困扰的因素。奥地利登山运动者心理健康问题的患病率为14%。促进健康的体育活动水平以及体育活动期间较高的情感效价与较低的心理困扰显著相关。与不活跃的体育活动水平相比，最低体育活动水平与较低的心理困扰无显著关联。婚姻状况、教育程度、高山协会会员身份和体重指数对心理困扰没有显著影响。与欧洲人群相比，奥地利登山运动者心理健康问题的患病率似乎较低。促进健康的体育活动水平以及情感效价更高的体育活动形式与较低的心理困扰相关。研究结果可能会引发干预性研究，关注户外体育活动（如登山运动）作为对有风险人群或有心理健康问题人群的辅助治疗手段的潜力。
