Benefits of systematic physical activities on individual’s psychological parameters: a study about anxiety and aggression

Abstract

This study compared the levels of anxiety and aggression of 80 adolescents and adults, physically active and sedentary. All participants were evaluated through the Anxiety Inventory and the State Trait Anger Expression Inventory, both developed by Spielberger and validated to Portuguese by Biaggio (1983,1995). The results of the statistical analysis points: (1) significant differences for the groups in the levels of anxiety and aggression, Λ = 0,30, F (3, 70) = 55,15, p= 0,000; (2) a significant interaction between groups and age, Λ = 0,81, F (3, 70)= 5,19, p= 0,003; (3) a non significant interaction between groups and gender, Λ = 0,97, F (3, 70) = 0,54, p= 0,65. These results suggested that, for adolescents and adults the levels of anxiety and aggression were significantly lower for the groups that are enrolled in constant physical activities when compared with groups that are sedentary.