USING PHYSICAL EXERRCISE FOR MANAGING DEPRESSION AND MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS AMONG FEMALE STUDENTS IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN NIGER STATE

Abstract

This study was meant to examine the perception of female students in selected tertiary institutions on the use of physical exercise for managing depression and mental health problems among females. This study used students in the state Polytechnic,Zungeru and Federal Polytechnic,Bida. Data from stratified random sampling of seventy two (72) married and seventy two (72) unmarried female students as respondents from the population of 4,684 was used with instrument tagged “Using Physical Exercise for Managing Depression and Mental Health Problems” (UPEDMDMHP). This was validated by two experts from the Department of Human Kinetics and Physical Education, Ibrahim BadamasiBabangida University, Lapai in Niger state (Nigeria). Test and re-test method was used to obtain reliability of 0.83, which was found suitable for the study. Two research questions and two hypotheses were formulated and ttest statistical method was used for the result, by adopting likert-type of Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree and Strongly disagree. The results proved that physical exercise is capable of not only managing depression but can also be used a device for the reduction of diseases, illnesses and maintenance of effective cardiovascular functions that could inject general mental health.Conclusion and recommendations wereproffered by advocating regular physical exercise on daily basis, proposing time-table for exercise, adopting food value consumption and regular medical checkup as measures towards effective management of depression andmaintenance of mental health of students.