Journals / Dumlupınar Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 10 Sayı: 1

An Examination of the Difference in Stress Levels Between Palestinian University Students Who Do and Do Not Engage in Sports

Spor Yapan ve Yapmayan Filistinli Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Stres Düzeylerinin Karşılaştırılması

Ahmad Muflih(DUMLUPINAR ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0009-0007-9180-9540
Mustafa Said Erzeybek(KÜTAHYA DUMLUPINAR ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0003-4427-4911
Pages
60–68
Publication Date
2026-07-30
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Accordingly, it is recommended that physical activity programs be encouraged to support the psychological well-being of university students.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Stress experienced by university students in their academic, social, and personal lives is an important factor that negatively affects their psychological well-being.
📊
Key Findings & Data:The sample consisted of 230 undergraduate students studying at Birzeit University in Ramallah during the 2024–2025 academic year who voluntarily participated in the study.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:Accordingly, it is recommended that physical activity programs be encouraged to support the psychological well-being of university students.
🔬Design:Survey & Empirical Study
📍Scope:2024–2025 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Spor · Stres · Üniversite Öğrencileri

Abstract

Stress experienced by university students in their academic, social, and personal lives is an important factor that negatively affects their psychological well-being. Although physical activity is known to provide positive benefits in coping with stress, studies examining this relationship specifically among Palestinian university students remain limited. This study aims to identify the difference in stress levels between Palestinian university students who engage in sports and those who do not. The research was conducted as a quantitative descriptive study within the scope of a descriptive survey model. The sample consisted of 230 undergraduate students studying at Birzeit University in Ramallah during the 2024–2025 academic year who voluntarily participated in the study. Of the participants, 108 regularly engaged in physical activity, while 122 did not. Data were collected using a Demographic Information Form and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The collected data were analyzed using an independent samples t-test in the SPSS 26.0 statistical package program. The analysis revealed that students who engage in sports have significantly lower stress levels compared to those who do not participate in sports. Regular physical activity was found to be an effective factor in reducing stress among Palestinian university students. Accordingly, it is recommended that physical activity programs be encouraged to support the psychological well-being of university students.

Özet

Üniversite öğrencilerinin akademik, sosyal ve kişisel yaşamlarında karşılaştıkları stres, psikolojik iyi oluşu olumsuz yönde etkileyen önemli bir faktördür. Fiziksel aktivitenin stresle başa çıkma üzerinde olumlu etkiler sağladığı bilinmekle birlikte, Filistinli üniversite öğrencileri özelinde bu ilişkinin incelendiği çalışmalar sınırlıdır. Bu araştırma, spor yapan ve yapmayan Filistinli üniversite öğrencilerinin stres düzeyleri arasındaki farkı ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır. Araştırma, tanımlayıcı tarama modeli çerçevesinde nicel betimsel bir çalışma olarak yürütülmüştür. Çalışmanın örneklemini, 2024–2025 akademik yılında Ramallah’taki Birzeit Üniversitesi’nde öğrenim gören ve gönüllü olarak araştırmaya katılan toplam 230 lisans öğrencisi oluşturmaktadır. Katılımcıların 108’i düzenli fiziksel aktivite yapan öğrencilerden, 122’si ise spor yapmayan öğrencilerden oluşmuştur. Veri toplamada Demografik Bilgi Formu ile Algılanan Stres Ölçeği (PSS) kullanılmıştır. Elde edilen veriler SPSS 26.0 paket programında bağımsız örneklemler t-testi ile analiz edilmiştir. Analiz sonuçları, spor yapan öğrencilerin stres düzeylerinin spor yapmayanlara kıyasla anlamlı düzeyde daha düşük olduğunu göstermiştir. Düzenli fiziksel aktivitenin, Filistinli üniversite öğrencileri arasında stresin azaltılmasında etkili bir faktör olduğu belirlenmiştir. Bu doğrultuda, üniversite öğrencilerinin psikolojik iyi oluşunu desteklemek amacıyla fiziksel aktivite programlarının teşvik edilmesi önerilmektedir.

🔖

Cite This Article

Muflih, A., Erzeybek, M. S. (2026). An Examination of the Difference in Stress Levels Between Palestinian University Students Who Do and Do Not Engage in Sports. Dumlupınar Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi, Cilt: 10 Sayı: 1, 60–68. https://doi.org/10.71272/debder.1838276

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (20)

  1. Abu Alwafa, R., Zahdeh, R., Zidan, S., Hahn, A., Schuchardt, J., & Badrasawi, M. (2024). Factors associated with quality of life among Palestinian university students: A cross-sectional study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
  2. Abu-Kaf, S., Braun-Lewensohn, O., & Kalagy, T. (2021). The impact of social support and sense of coherence on the mental health of Palestinian students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(12), 6368.https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18126368
  3. Ahmead, M., El Sharif, N., Abuiram, I., Alshawish, E., & Dweib, M. (2024). Depression, anxiety and coping strategies among Palestinian university students during political violence: A cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, 1436672.https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1436672
  4. Ambarish, V., Chandrashekara, S., & Suresh, K. P. (2012). Moderate regular exercise reduces inflammatory response for physical stress. Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 56(1), 7–14.
  5. Berger, B. G., & Motl, R. W. (2000). Exercise and mood: A selective review and synthesis of research employing the Profile of Mood States. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 12(1), 69–92. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200008404214
  6. Büyüköztürk, Ş., Kılıç Çakmak, E., Akgün, Ö. E., Karadeniz, Ş., & Demirel, F. (2020). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri (27th ed.). Pegem Akademi.
  7. Cohen, J. (1992). A power primer. Psychological Bulletin, 112(1), 155–159. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.112.1.155
  8. Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2018). Research methods in education (8th ed.). Routledge.
  9. Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
  10. Eker, D. A. (2024). Düzenli egzersizin depresyon, mutluluk, mental iyi oluş ve yaşam tatmini üzerine etkisi [Master’s thesis, Balıkesir University].
  11. Eskin, M., Harlak, H., Demirkıran, F., & Dereboy, Ç. (2013). Adaptation of the perceived stress scale into Turkish. New/Yeni Symposium Journal, 51(3), 132–140.
  12. Ghanim, M. (2024). Gender differences in health-promoting behaviors and psychological well-being of Palestinian medical students. Journal of Health Psychology, 29(1), 45–58.
  13. Hu, Y., & Liu, B. (2025). The impact of physical exercise on college students’ mental health through emotion regulation and self-efficacy. Scientific Reports, 15, 33548. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-18352-9
  14. Karasar, N. (2020). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemi: Kavramlar, ilkeler, teknikler (36th ed.). Nobel Yayıncılık.
  15. Misra, R., & Castillo, L. G. (2004). Academic stress among college students. International Journal of Stress Management, 11(2), 132–148. https://doi.org/10.1037/1072-5245.11.2.132
  16. Sabbah, S. S., Yacoub, Z., Yacoub, H., Yacoub, R., & Holden, R. R. (2025). Psychache and coping strategies among Palestinian university students. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-03998-2
  17. Stults-Kolehmainen, M. A., & Sinha, R. (2014). The effects of stress on physical activity and exercise. Sports Medicine, 44(1), 81–121.https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-013-0090-5
  18. Tan, S. L., Jetzke, M., Vergeld, V., & Müller, C. (2020). Physical activity, sedentary time, and perceived stress. JMIR Public Health and Surveillance, 6(4), e20119.https://doi.org/10.2196/20119
  19. Vacher, P., Filaire, E., Mourot, L., & Nicolas, M. (2019). Stress and recovery in sports. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 143, 25–35.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2019.06.011
  20. Weinberg, R. S., & Gould, D. (2023). Foundations of sport and exercise psychology. Human Kinetics. World Health Organization. (2020). WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240015128