Abstract
Background: Previous research has suggested that leisure activity may benefit mental health and protect against substance use among adolescents, but more research is needed to asses associations with a wide range of outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess associations between multiple leisure activities and (1) mental health outcomes and (2) substance use outcomes in a sample of Danish adolescents.Methods: Using data from the Danish part of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) collected in 2019, nation-wide cross-sectional data from 2,488 participants aged 15 or 16 in Denmark were analyzed to assess associations between number of leisure activity types and outcomes pertaining to mental health and substance use.Results: Our results show that engaging in multiple activity types at least once a week—as compared to one single type of activity—is associated with increased odds for high mental well-being, and reduced odds for mental health problems. Engaging in multiple activity types is also associated with reduced odds for overall substance use and for using substances as a coping method. Among those using substances, engaging in multiple activity types is associated with reduced odds of above average substance use.Conclusion: Increasing opportunities for adolescents to engage in leisure activities is suggested to be useful in enhancing mental health and preventing substance use and promoting mental health. Promoting and increasing access to leisure activities among adolescents could be a promising avenue for policy and practice.
Highlights
In recent years, Denmark has seen an increase in the proportion of young adults and adolescents with poor mental health (Due et al, 2014; Jensen et al, 2018)
Adolescent substance use is of major concern because of the health-risk behaviors associated with substance use (DuRant et al, 1999; Hjarnaa et al, 2020), the adverse health consequences both occurring in adolescence and later in life (Bonnie et al, 2004; Esposito-Smythers and Spirito, 2004; Clark et al, 2008), the strong co-occurrence with mental health problems (Storr et al, 2012; Schulte and Hser, 2013), and because adolescent substance use has prognostic significance in the development of mental health problems and substance use disorders throughout adolescence and into adulthood (Brook et al, 2002; Stone et al, 2012; Wymbs et al, 2014)
odds ratio coefficients (OR), odds ratio; CI, confidence interval. aThe model adjusted for gender, parental education, and parental financial status, family support, and availability of friends. bThe model adjusted for gender, parental education, and parental financial status, family support, availability of friends, and symptoms of mental health problems
Summary
Denmark has seen an increase in the proportion of young adults and adolescents with poor mental health (Due et al, 2014; Jensen et al, 2018). Substance use, such as alcohol consumption and smoking, continues to be a pervasive problem among adolescents in Denmark (Pisinger et al, 2019; WHO, 2020). The aim of this study was to assess associations between multiple leisure activities and (1) mental health outcomes and (2) substance use outcomes in a sample of Danish adolescents
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