Examining the Effectiveness of Physical Activity on Mental Health among Bosnian Refugees: A Pilot Study

Abstract

This pilot study aimed to reduce Bosnian refugees' vulnerability to and severity of mental disorders and sustain their mental health through adopting culturally appropriate and tailored physical activity. The study used the Community-Based Participatory Research approach and the quasi-experimental study design. A total of 35 participants in the intervention group received 12-week regular physical activity while 35 participants in the control group received 12-week educational materials concerning mental health. The effectiveness of the intervention was measured by the validated and culturally and linguistically competent instrument, Mental Health Inventory (MHI)-38. At the end of the study, both intervention and control groups demonstrated statistically significant improvement on the scales of MHI-38 either within or between groups. The study served as a non-clinical example to sustain, replicate, and expand the current intervention activities among the rest of the Bosnian community and other refugee/immigrant populations in the U.S. regarding their mental health well-being.