The Predictive Role of Perceived Physical Literacy in Depression and Anxiety Among Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities.

Aims: Physical literacy is recognized as a multidimensional construct associated with lifelong engagement in physical activity, and evidence suggests its correlation with various mental health outcomes in general populations. However, its potential role in psychological factors among clinical groups-such as veterans and individuals with disabilities- remains unexplored. The present study aimed to investigate the predictive role of perceived physical literacy (PPL) in depression and anxiety among veterans and individuals with disabilities. Materials & Methods: In this cross-sectional research, 110 participants-including 12 veterans and 98 individuals with disabilities-from Yazd City were selected through convenience sampling. Perceived physical literacy was assessed using the physical Literacy Scale in Adult (PLAS), and depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured by the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficients and simple linear regression in SPSS software. Findings: The results revealed a significant negative correlation between perceived physical literacy and both depression (r = - 0.34, p < 0.05 ) and anxiety (r = - 0.21 p < 0.05 ) Simple linear regression indicated that perceived physical literacy explained approximately 11.5% of the variance in depression (R²= 0.115) and about 4.5% of the variance in anxiety (R² = 0.045) Conclusion: The findings suggest that higher levels of perceived physical literacy are associated with lower levels of psychological distress, specifically depressive and anxiety symptoms, in this clinical population. Thus, physical literacy may serve as a protective psychological factor, contributing to improved mental health outcomes among veterans and individuals with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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