{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T01:08:46Z","timestamp":1760058526799,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,7]],"date-time":"2025-04-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1743984000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology","award":["UI\/04045"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UI\/04045"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Applied Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The aim of this study was to see if there are any associations between mental health, Body Mass Index (BMI), and physical exercise (PE) in young Portuguese adults. The sample consisted of 414 people aged between 18 and 25 years old. A sociodemographic questionnaire designed for this study and the Mental Health Inventory were used. To analyze the results, the total sample was divided according to the criteria \u201cBMI \u2265 5 kg\/m2\u201d; \u201cBMI &lt; 25 kg\/m2\u201d; \u201cdoes not practice PE\u201d; and \u201cpractices PE\u201d, and sample groups were formed with these names. It was found that there was an association between the dimensions of the Mental Health Inventory and the average time spent practicing PE in the total sample (r from 0.099 to 0.160) and in individuals with a BMI &lt; 25 kg\/m2 (r = 0.154 and 0.169). In individuals with a BMI \u226525 kg\/m2, there was an association between the \u2018BMI\u2019 and depression variables (r = \u22120.174). In all groups, associations were found between the variables of age and BMI (r from 0.120 to 0.216). There was also a significant effect of group (non-exercise vs. exercise groups) on the dependent variables, \u039b = 0.972, F(5, 408) = 2.329, p = 0.042, \u03b72p = 0.28. This study confirms the association between PE and mental health and suggests that BMI may have an influence on the appearance of depressive symptoms in young Portuguese adults.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/app15074056","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,7]],"date-time":"2025-04-07T11:24:39Z","timestamp":1744025079000},"page":"4056","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Mental Health, Overweight, and Physical Exercise in Young Portuguese Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"T\u00e2nia","family":"Gon\u00e7alves","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"ESECS, Polytechnique of Leiria, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7179-6814","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Diogo","family":"Monteiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ESECS, Polytechnique of Leiria, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"},{"name":"Research Center in Sport, Health, and Human Development (CIDESD), 5000-558 Vila Real, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2034-0585","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rui","family":"Matos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ESECS, Polytechnique of Leiria, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"},{"name":"Research Center in Sport, Health, and Human Development (CIDESD), 5000-558 Vila Real, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5055-2696","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pedro","family":"Duarte-Mendes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sport Physical Activity and Health Research & Innovation Center (SPRINT), 2040-413 Rio Maior, Portugal"},{"name":"Sport Sciences School of Rio Maior, Santar\u00e9m Polytechnique University (ESDRM-IPSantar\u00e9m), 2040-413 Rio Maior, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8529-5546","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nuno","family":"Couto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Center in Sport, Health, and Human Development (CIDESD), 5000-558 Vila Real, Portugal"},{"name":"Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6000-084 Castelo Branco, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5485-9430","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Raul","family":"Antunes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ESECS, Polytechnique of Leiria, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"},{"name":"Research Center in Sport, Health, and Human Development (CIDESD), 5000-558 Vila Real, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Susana","family":"Diz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ESECS, Polytechnique of Leiria, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"},{"name":"Research Center in Sport, Health, and Human Development (CIDESD), 5000-558 Vila Real, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8160-8007","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nuno","family":"Amaro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ESECS, Polytechnique of Leiria, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"},{"name":"Research Center in Sport, Health, and Human Development (CIDESD), 5000-558 Vila Real, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1727-3537","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Miguel","family":"Jacinto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ESECS, Polytechnique of Leiria, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"},{"name":"Research Center in Sport, Health, and Human Development (CIDESD), 5000-558 Vila Real, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2022). 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