The Effect of Physical Activity on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Awareness and Self-Worth in Young Women

International activity is one of the most important elements of maintaining a healthy life and contributes to the enhancement of life. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), physical activity is defined as any activity that involves the movement of body muscles and involves a certain amount of energy expenditure. Physical activity for university undergraduates includes a variety of movements, either individually or in groups. These activities include exercises performed in rotation or in open spaces, sports competitions, games that involve movement, running, jumping, and exercises performed in physical education classes.

Physical activity is important for many aspects of health. Despite this, participation in health-enhancing physical activities is quite low. Consequently, physical activity has become a serious public health issue today. It is known that women, in particular, participate less in physical activity than men. Participation in regular physical activity can improve women's health and prevent major causes of disease and death. The World Health Organization (WHO) has linked the reasons for women's physical inactivity to constraints such as lower income, family responsibilities, and cultural differences. Regular physical activity plays an important role in reducing the risk of diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and colon cancer.

In recent years, an increase in studies focusing on women's health and physical activity has been observed. Physical activity-focused research also focuses on the psychological and social impacts of women, such as quality of life, cognitive function, depression, leisure satisfaction, self-esteem, anthropometry, nutritional habits, balance-mobility, and eating behaviors. In addition to physical improvements, there are also studies in the field of health that reveal individuals' psychological and social well-being.

In addition to social situations, individuals' psychological perceptions of self-worth are seen as one of the most important factors determining their lives. The concept of self-worth is considered a key figure in psychological well-being and is seen as the key to happiness and success. Furthermore, self-worth encompasses a person's self-definition and evaluation, as well as their analysis of their own worth or individual worth. Perception of self-worth is a crucial factor in improving both mental and physical health.

Based on the information provided, the primary objective of this study is to explore the self-worth perceptions of women who regularly participate in physical activity and to investigate the impact of physical activity on self-worth perception and cardiovascular risk awareness.

Inclusion criteria

• Being over 18 years of age
• Voluntarily participating in the study
• Being female

Exclusion criteria

• Having any physical disability,
• Having had an injury or accident,
• Being pregnant or having recently given birth,
• Having a cognitive impairment that would prevent completing the survey and maintaining communication,