A Comparative Study on Coping Strategies and Subjective Well-being among Exercising and Non-exercising College Students

Abstract

This study investigates the role of exercise in the coping strategies and subjective well-being of college students, while also exploring potential gender differences in coping strategies and subjective well-being. A total of 232 college students from diverse regions of India participated, evenly split between males (n = 116) and females (n = 116). The Coping Scale, comprising 13 items, was utilized to evaluate coping strategies, while the BBC Well-Being Questionnaire, consisting of 24 self-report items, assessed subjective experience across multiple domains. The data collected was analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences Version 25(IBM SPSS 25). The results revealed a weak positive correlation between coping strategies and subjective well-being. Furthermore, significant differences were observed between males and females. Males were found to have better coping strategies and improved levels of subjective well-being than females. Additionally, exercising college students exhibited enhanced coping strategies and subjective well-being compared to their non-exercising counterparts.