Stress scoring with physical behavior and its social variables

Regular practice of physical exercises promote several beneficial effects to the human being, however, the action of that one as a therapeutic resource to stress has been much discussed. Thus, the present study has aimed to evaluate the association of socioeconomic levels and being physically active with stress. This is an exploratory research with a quantitative approach, carried out in a country town, in a sample composed by 779 respondents. Two questionnaires have been applied, being: a) Inventory of Stress Symptoms for Adults of Lipp (ISSL - adapted); b) International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ - short version). Statistical analysis has been obtained using the Chi-square test and the Fisher's exact test. It was identified that of the 779 research subjects, 715 presented an indication of stress, corresponding to 91.8% of the interviewed and of the 357 considered physically active, 91.9% manifested the emotional alteration in question. Considering the above, the present study has demonstrated that physical activity does not influence the reduction of stress levels, emphasizing the need to verify the category of activity performed, since short-term walking or occasional bicycle rides are not considered, necessarily, physical exercises. However, the possibility of these individuals being classified as 'physically active' is not ruled out.