Psychosocial Mechanism of Adolescents’ Physical and Mental Health: A Self-Determination Health Behavior Perspective

Abstract

PURPOSE: Research indicates that adolescents’ health can be promoted by satisfying their basic psychological needs through a supportive social environment in school physical education (PE; Ryan & Deci, 2017). Guided by the Self-Determination Health Behavior Model (SDHBM; Ryan et al., 2008), this study aimed to examine the relations among perceived need support (i.e., autonomy support, competence support, and relatedness support), need satisfaction (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness), physical health (i.e., physical fitness [PF]), and mental health (i.e., health-related quality of life [HRQOL]) among adolescents. The mediation models were conducted to specify relations among psychosocial processes toward PE, adolescents’ PF and HRQOL, respectively. METHODS: A prospective correlational design was used across one academic school year. Participants were 198 adolescents (58.6% female; Mage = 12.63) recruited from three schools in the south region of the U.S. At the beginning of school year, participants completed previously validated questionnaires assessing their perceived need support and need satisfaction toward PE. At the end of school year, they self-reported their HRQOL using the PedsQLTM inventory, which included measures of physical, emotional, school, and social functioning. Finally, FitnessGram® test battery was used to measure their PF including body composition, aerobic fitness, and muscular fitness. RESULTS: Correlation analysis revealed positive associations among the study variables (rs ranged from .19 to .83). Using structural equation modelling (AMOS 22.0), the hypothesized model resulted with a good fit to the data (χ2/df =130.46/61; IFI = .93; CFI = .93; RMSEA = .076; 90% CI [.058, .094]). The need support had a direct influence on need satisfaction (β = .79, p < .01), and need satisfaction had a direct contribution on PF (β = .23, p < .05). The psychosocial process from need support to need satisfaction had no direct influence on HRQOL, but had an indirect influence through PF (β = .34, p < .01). CONCLUSION: The findings supported the theoretical tenets of SDHBM in adolescents, particular on their physical health. Creating a need-supportive environment in PE is critical in order to enhance adolescents’ need satisfaction, which ultimately indirectly influence their HRQOL.