@article{ref1,
title="Associations of leisure-time physical activity and active school transport with mental health outcomes: a population-based study",
journal="Scandinavian journal of medicine and science in sports",
year="2022",
author="Jussila, Juuso J. and Pulakka, Anna and Ervasti, Jenni and Halonen, Jaana I. and Mikkonen, Santtu and Allaouat, Sara and Salo, Paula and Lanki, Timo",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
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.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0905-7188",
doi="10.1111/sms.14292",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/sms.14292"
}