Volume 24, Issue 3
Experimental Study on the Effects of Exercise Prescription on the Mental Health of Left- Behind School Children in Rural Areas
Abstract
Purpose: To perform a psychological intervention on the mental health of left-behind middle school students and college students in rural areas by prescribing physical exercise. Method: Left-behind children from two classes in Grades 1 and 2 of two middle schools in a rural area were randomly selected in Jiangsu Province, China, as the objects of the study. Of the total objects, 59 were included in the control group from four classes and 62 were included in the intervention group from four classes. Standard physical exercise was prescribed for the intervention group, and the intervention duration was 12 weeks. Results: The intervention group was superior to the control group in terms of obsession, intolerance, hostility, intense interpersonal relationship, sensitivity, anxiety, emotional imbalance, psychological imbalance, and overall health condition, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusión: The mental health of left-behind middle school students can be improved by applying a simple and beneficial method, specifically exercise prescription.
Keywords
exercise prescription, left-behind children, rural area, mental health