--- title: Does aerobic exercise reduce anxiety and depression in students with PMS? description: Yes, female students who did aerobic exercise showed large reductions in both anxiety and depression. However, there was no control group that did not exercis url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/effect-of-aerobic-exercise-on-psychological-problems-of-female-students-with-2025/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does aerobic exercise reduce anxiety and depression in students with PMS? Non-randomised trial, 2025 # Does aerobic exercise reduce anxiety and depression in students with PMS? Yes, female students who did aerobic exercise showed large reductions in both anxiety and depression. However, there was no control group that did not exercise, so we cannot be certain the exercise caused the improvement rather than placebo or natural variation. Early or limited evidence 96 female students with premenstrual syndrome in Imo State, Nigeria ## What they did 96 female students with PMS were given aerobic exercise. Researchers measured anxiety and depression before and after the intervention using standard scales, and tested whether the score changes were statistically significant. ## What they found Mean anxiety scores fell by 11.82 points and mean depression scores fell by 10.82 points. Both changes were statistically significant, suggesting aerobic exercise helped reduce psychological symptoms. ## What it means for you This suggests aerobic exercise may help reduce anxiety and depression in young women with PMS. However, the study did not include a control group that did not exercise, so placebo effect or natural improvement cannot be ruled out. The study was small and done only in Nigeria on students. Randomized trials comparing exercise to no exercise are needed to confirm the effect. 96 Female students 11.82 Anxiety score reduction 10.82 Depression score reduction ## About the study Original title Effect of Aerobic Exercise on Psychological Problems of Female Students with Premenstrual Syndrome in Imo State, Nigeria Authors Jane Ekwutosi Iheka Journal Universal Journal of Educational Research Year 2025 Study design Non-randomised trial Participants 96 What was tested Aerobic exercise Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.64637/618292](https://doi.org/10.64637/618292) Original abstract The psychological problems of students with premenstrual syndrome hampers not just their wellbeing but their willingness to commit to education due to emotional instabilities associated with their condition. It is in line with the obvious need to proffer solution that this study examined the effect of aerobic exercise on psychological problems of female students with premenstrual syndrome in Imo state using a quasi-experimental design. The population comprised 96 female students which served as the sample size due to its number being manageable after meeting the inclusion criteria. A Premenstrual Symptom Screening Tool (PSST) was used to diagnose Premenstrual Syndrome among the participants. A self-constructed instrument titled ‘Students Psychological Problems Scale’ (SPPS) with 20 items was utilized for the study. The researcher presented the instrument to specialists in Educational Psychology and Measurement and Evaluation who validated it. Also, its reliability was established as .81 using Cronbach alpha statistics to ascertain its internal consistency. The research questions were answered using Mean and standard deviation while hypotheses were tested at .05 level of significance using paired t-test. The result of the study showed a significant mean difference (11.82) on anxiety level, and a significant mean difference (10.82) on depression level of students with premenstrual syndrome before and after the aerobic exercise. Therefore, aerobic exercise was found effective in reducing psychological problems (anxiety and depression) among female students with premenstrual syndrome. From the findings, the researcher recommended among others that physical exercise should be observed in schools to improve the wellbeing of students with psychological problems. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Exercise and yoga](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-exercise/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Survey study, 2026 Does exercise help college women with period problems and mental health? Randomised trial, 2026 Does Kundalini Reiki help reduce PMS symptoms and improve quality of life? 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