Physical Activity and Mental Health in Adolescents
Author Information
Author(s): Sagatun Aase, Søgaard Anne Johanne, Bjertness Espen, Selmer Randi, Heyerdahl Sonja
Primary Institution: Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Eastern and Southern Norway
Hypothesis
How are weekly hours of physical activity at age 15–16 associated with mental health three years later?
Conclusion
Weekly hours of physical activity at age 15–16 years was weakly associated with mental health at three-year follow-up in boys.
Supporting Evidence
- Boys who were physically active 5–7 hours per week had the lowest total problem scores at follow-up.
- Emotional symptoms and peer problems in boys were inversely associated with physical activity.
- Girls showed no significant differences in mental health outcomes based on physical activity levels.
Takeaway
Being active for a few hours each week can help boys feel better mentally as they grow up, but it doesn't seem to help girls in the same way.
Methodology
Longitudinal self-reported health survey with a baseline of 3811 participants and a follow-up of 2489 participants.
Potential Biases
Self-reports may underestimate associations due to low internal consistency for some subscales.
Limitations
The study cannot infer causality and relies on self-reported data, which may have low internal consistency.
Participant Demographics
1112 boys and 1377 girls aged 15–16 at baseline.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p < 0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI (-0.15, -0.03)
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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