Aim and the objectives of the study

To date, the majority of studies have focussed on adolescents. Furthermore, there is a lack of evidence regarding the optimal amount of PA required to achieve maximum mental health benefits. Considering a limited number of studies investigating the relationship between PA and mental health in adults, the present study aims to investigate the relationship between PA and mental health using the recently collected data by SHeS in 2019 (www.gov.scot/scottishhealthsurvey). Such a study will help develop personalized preventive and therapeutic interventions.

The present study has objectives as follows:

1. To investigate the association between weekly activity and sedentary levels and mental-wellbeing in Scottish adults (aged≥16 years). It is hypothesized that higher activity levels or lower sedentary levels significantly improve Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) in Scottish adults.
2. To investigate the association between weekly activity and sedentary levels and mental distress and mental ill-health in Scottish adults (aged≥16 years). It is hypothesized that higher activity or lower sedentary levels are significantly associated with a lower General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) score in Scottish adults.
3. To investigate the association between weekly activity and sedentary levels and anxiety and depression in Scottish adults (aged≥16 years). It is hypothesized that higher activity or lower sedentary levels are significantly associated with lower Revised Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS-R) anxiety and depression scores in Scottish adults.