Abstract
The general aim of the present study was to examine how physical activity, participation in sports, and beliefs about personal physical activity and physical fitness are associated with adolescents’ psychosomatic health complaints (PHC) in relation to their lifestyles.MethodsA total of 3284 11–19-year-old adolescents (average age 14.9 ± 2.0; 48.6% male) participated in the population-based cross-sectional study. Self-administered questionnaires addressed lifestyle, sports participation, physical activity, physical fitness perception, and PHC.ResultsFemale gender (OR = 1.92; 95% CI = 1.57–2.35), smoking (OR = 1.31; 95%PI = 1.01–1.68), alcohol consumption (OR = 1.60; 95%PI = 1.30–1.97), unhealthy foods (OR = 1.14; 95%PI = 1.04–1.26), hours of internet use (OR = 1.14; 95%PI = 1.07–1.21), and poor personal fitness perception (OR = 1.60; 95% CI = 1.27–2.02) were associated with PHC in adolescents. Lower physical activity and self-perceived insufficient physical activity, perception of physical fitness as being poor, and not participating in sports were associated with greater somatic and psychological complaints controlling for age, gender, and BMI. Participation in sports and physical activity did not change PHC in adolescents involved in unhealthy behaviour. However, a positive perception of one’s own physical activity and physical fitness decreased PHC in adolescents who reported an unhealthy lifestyle.ConclusionsAdolescents demonstrating poorer health-related behavioural profiles showed higher PHC. Physical activity and sports participation were related to lower PHC. Positive physical activity and physical fitness perception changed the associations between PHC and unhealthy lifestyle: adolescents perceiving themselves as sufficiently physically active and those evaluating their physical fitness as good showed lower PHC, despite the presence of unhealthy habits (high screen time, drinking alcohol, smoking, and consuming unhealthy foods). It is important to study cognitive factors when exploring the associations between adolescent lifestyles and PHC. These results are important for health promotion and education programmes aimed at improving healthy lifestyle and psychosocial well-being in adolescents.
Highlights
Adolescence is a time of rapid psychological, physical, and social change
The results showed that 64% of all surveyed adolescents reported at least one psychosomatic health complaints (PHC) weekly, 55.3% of them were boys and 72.2% girls
Evaluation of own physical activity as sufficient and perception of physical fitness as good were associated with lower PHC in adolescents
Summary
Adolescence is a time of rapid psychological, physical, and social change. The development of technologies, and demanding educational requirements make adolescents in Western countries experience challenges to their subjective well-being and psychosocial distress, which can lead to psychosomatic health complaints (PHC) [1,2,3]. Psychosomatic symptoms are physical symptoms without definitive organic diagnosis. They develop as a result of psychological reinforcement of physiological needs [4]. There is some evidence that somatic health complaints in combination with psychological health complaints are important components of mental disorders [5]. PHC such as pain, sleep problems, and low mood have been associated with adverse prospective outcomes, such as future psychosomatic problems and development of psychiatric diagnoses [6].
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