Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviours and Duration of Sleep as Factors Affecting the Well-Being of Young People against the Background of Environmental Moderators.

Dorota Kleszczewska,Jadwiga Siedlecka,Agnieszka Szkutnik,Joanna Mazur

doi:10.3390/ijerph16060915

Abstract

Mental health problems during adolescence are becoming increasingly frequent. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the total impact of selected behavioural and environmental factors on the variability of mental well-being indexes of young people aged 15 to 17 years. The survey, conducted as part of the last round of the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) 2017/18 study, covered 3693 secondary school students in Poland at the average age of 16.53 years (SD = 1.09). Dependent variables: depression (CES-DC), stress (Cohen scale), satisfaction with life (Cantril’s Ladder), and self-efficacy in social relations (Smith and Betz scale). Independent variables included: physical activity; sedentary behaviours; length of sleep; and perception of the environment in which the respondent was raised. The analyses were adjusted by gender, age, and occurrence of chronic disease. It was demonstrated that gender, duration of sleep, and perception of the surrounding environment proved to be significant predictors of all four mental health indicators. The protective influence of physical activity appeared to be a particular advantage in a less-supportive environment. The intervention programmes aimed at improving the mental well-being of young people should include promoting physical activity and sufficient sleep; furthermore, environmental moderators should be taken into consideration.

Highlights

Mental health problems affect 10–20% of children and adolescents
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of select behavioural factors and features of the surrounding environment on the variability of specific mental well-being indexes among adolescents aged 15 to 17 years
It was verified that the protective effect of Physical activity (PA) for mental health is maintained, when other behavioural, demographic, and environmental factors were taken into account

Summary

Introduction

Mental health problems affect 10–20% of children and adolescents. The results of meta-analyses indicate a high discrepancy between measures taken to promote mental health and prevent problems among adolescents, on the one hand, and this group’s actual needs, on the other [1]. The connection between mental health disorders and other areas of health and functioning, such as school attainment, addictions, and sexual risk behaviour, is becoming evident. It is important to define protective factors as well as risk factors for the mental health of the developing population and, further, to take biological, psychological, and social determinants into account when so doing. Apart from the family and school, an important factor is the local community, the disintegration of which may increase the risk of mental health disorders in this vulnerable population [2]. Public Health 2019, 16, 915; doi:10.3390/ijerph16060915 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

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