The Predictive Role of Physical Activity in Reactivity to Stress and Mental Toughness of Police Officers

Paying attention to factors affecting mental health in military forces can control mental disorders, maintain the health of employees, and increase their efficiency. This study aimed to investigate the predictive role of physical activity on reactivity to perceived stress and mental toughness of male police officers.

The research method is descriptive-correlation type. The statistical population of this research was formed by all the male employees of police in Yazd City in Iran in 2022, of which 174 people participated in the research as available. The research data collection tool was Sharkey’s Physical Activity Questionnaire (1997), Scholtz et al.’s Stress Reactivity Questionnaire (2011), and Clough’s Mental Toughness Questionnaire (2002). Data were analyzed by Pearson correlation and linear regression using SPSS 25 software.

174 male participants with an average age of 35.87±8.37 years and experience of 14.24±7.57 years participated in the research. The mean scores of physical activity variables were 13.17±4.55, reactivity to stress was 22.05±7.63, and mental toughness was 155.12±19.70. The results of Pearson’s correlation test showed that there was a significant relationship between physical activity and reactivity to stress (p< 0.01; r=- 0.343) and between physical activity and mental toughness (p< 0.01; r= 0.336). Also, the results of the linear regression test showed that physical activity scores could significantly predict variables of reactivity to stress (12%) and mental toughness (11%) in male police officers (p<0.01).

Based on the results, the physical activity level of police male employees can predict their reactivity to stress and their mental toughness.