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Citation |
Jussila JJ, Pulakka A, Ervasti J, Halonen JI, Mikkonen S, Allaouat S, Salo P, Lanki T. Scand. J. Med. Sci. Sports 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub. |
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Copyright |
(Copyright © 2022, John Wiley and Sons) |
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DOI |
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PMID |
36571113 |
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Abstract |
Promoting physical activity can improve population health. This study aimed to examine associations of leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and active school transport with mental health, i.e., symptoms of depression and anxiety, among 15- to 16-year-old adolescents. We also assessed the relationships with less-studied outcomes, such as chronic stress and visits to school psychologist. A nationwide Finnish cohort of eighth and ninth graders from the School Health Promotion study (32829 participants; mean age 15.4 years; 53% girls) was studied. We used logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (OR), with models adjusted for major sociodemographic, health behaviour, and physical activity variables. Key findings suggest that leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is associated with better mental health in a dose-response manner. Even the smallest dose, 30 weekly minutes, was linked to 17% lower odds of chronic stress symptoms compared to inactivity (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.71 to 0.96). Compared to non-active transportation, more than 30 minutes of daily active school transport yielded 19% (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.31) and 33% (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.58) higher odds of depression symptoms and school psychologist visits, respectively. However, no associations were found for low-to-moderate daily active school transport levels (less than 30 minutes). This large-scale study further highlights a positive association between leisure-time physical activity and mental health among youth. Future research should explore what factors might explain the potential adverse mental health outcomes of active school transport. Language: en |
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Keywords |
mental health; physical activity; cross-sectional study; adolescent health; active school transport; population-based study |