The Role of General Physical Education Classes on the Characteristics, Personality and Mental Well-Being of Female Student
Authors: Babaei Bonab Solmaz , Rezaei Saeid , Jamali Bahram 
Published: April 2022

Background. Physical activity is a way to help people to acquire skills, knowledge and positive attitudes towards optimal growth, gaining general health and living happy moments. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of general physical education classes on personality traits and mental well-being of female students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Methods. The present study is a quasi-experimental study with a pretest and posttest design and a control group. The target population included all female medical students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. The participants of the experimental group were selected from among the students who had taken the one-credit general physical education course while the participants of the control group had not taken the general physical education course. The students completed the Berne Reuters Personality Questionnaire and the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire in two stages (first semester and end of semester). The general classes of the experimental group were conducted for 12 weeks and each week a 90-minute session was held from 8.30 am to 10 am. SPSS software was used for statistical analysis and analysis of covariance. Results. The results showed that general physical education classes had a significant effect on all six personality traits studied and the students' mental well-being (happiness) (P=0.001). This period increased the traits of self-confidence, sociability and excellence and decreased the traits of nervousness, introversion and self-being of the participants and also increased the mental well-being of the experimental group (p<0.05) Conclusion. Doing sports activities promotes personality traits and students' mental well-being. Background One way to prevent mental injuries is to identify the factors associated with it, and personality traits and mental well-being are among the most stable psychological structures while physical activity as a way to help people to achieve Skills, knowledge and positive attitudes is in line with optimal growth, gaining general health and creating happy moments. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of general physical education classes on personality traits and mental well-being of female students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (TBZMED). Methods The present research is quasi-experimental and the research design is pre-test and post-test with a control group. The statistical population included all female medical students of TBZMED, Tabriz, Iran. Among them, 120 people were selected through voluntary sampling and divided equally into experimental groups (those who had a general physical education unit in this semester) and control (those who did not have a general physical education unit). The participants of the experimental group were selected from among the students who had taken the one-credit general physical education course and a total of 60 people were selected as the participants of the experimental group. The participants of the control group were also selected from the dormitories of TBZMED students then completed the Bernreuter Personality Questionnaire and the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire in two stages (first semester and the end of semester). The general classes of the experimental group were conducted for 12 weeks and each week a 90-minute session was held for 12 sessions under the tutelage of a teacher and from 8.30 to 10 in the morning. SPSS software was used for statistical analysis and analysis of covariance at the significance level of α <0.05 to analyze the data. Results The results showed that general physical education classes had a significant effect on all six personality traits studied and students' mental well-being (happiness) (P=0.001). This period increased the traits of self-confidence, sociability and excellence while decreasing the traits of nervousness, introversion and self-being of the participants and also increasing the mental well-being of the experimental group (p<0.05). Conclusion Given that college life is associated with complex stresses, it seems that it may be possible to cope with such stresses and even enjoy college life by gaining psychological abilities through participation in activities Sports. Practical Implications Performing physical exercises in general physical education classes in the present study improved the scores of all personality components studied, i.e. programs and activities implemented in physical education classes increased extraversion, self-confidence, and sociality. It reduces the nervousness and excellence of students and also promotes the physical and mental health of students. Based on the findings of this study, sports exercises can be used to improve the physical and mental condition of students. Also, based on the studies conducted on the subject and examining the factors of mental well-being and personality factors of students and studying the methods and strategies ahead, it is expected that appropriate policies will be taken to increase the productivity of university students. Ethical Considerations All ethical issues related to research have been considered in the study. Confidentiality of information and the right to withdraw from research have been reserved for participants at all times. Among the ethical issues of the project in the research were: Before starting the work, the participants gave their consent. They were informed about the subject and method of implementation. The personal information of the candidates was protected, and in case of any disturbances, the necessary instructions were provided to the candidates to follow up. Participation in the study had no financial burden on the participants. Conflict of Interest In the present study, the authors had no conflict of interest. Acknowledgment The authors would like to thank all the participants and people who contributed to the present research.