Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of the current study was to investigate the mediatory role between vigorous physical activity, body mass index (BMI), and cardiorespiratory fitness on symptoms of depression and their subsequent direct and indirect effects on quality of life (QoL).MethodsFive hundred and seventy-six adolescents’ (314 boys, 12.5 ± 1.1 years) physical activity levels, cardiorespiratory fitness, BMI, levels of depressive symptoms, and QoL were measured. Structural equation modelling was used to evaluate the difference in linear structural associations between variables.ResultsThe model suggested that cardiorespiratory fitness (β = 0.16, p < 0.001) and symptoms of depression (β = − 0.52, p < 0.001) were both directly associated with physical QoL, with depressive symptoms also directly influencing psychological QoL (β = − 0.79, p < 0.01). Body mass index was indirectly associated with physical QoL, mediated by both symptoms of depression (β = − 0.06, p < 0.001) and cardiorespiratory fitness (β = 0.05, p < 0.001) and psychological QoL mediated by symptoms of depression (β = − 0.09, p < 0.001). Vigorous physical activity was indirectly associated with QoL, mediated by cardiorespiratory fitness (β = − 0.04, p < 0.001).ConclusionsModels suggested that vigorous physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness and BMI were associated, both directly and indirectly, with mental well-being and QoL. It could, therefore, be postulated that enhancing cardiorespiratory fitness and BMI through increasing vigorous physical activity may be beneficial to both mental well-being and QoL in adolescents.
Highlights
Quality of life (QoL), a subset of health defined by the World Health Organisation to include the physical, mental and social well-being of a person [1], is widely recognised as a fundamental element in the evaluation of population health [2] and should be considered the underlying target for health interventions [3]
The model (Fig. 1) revealed that vigorous physical activity was directly related to body mass index (BMI) (β = − 0.29, p < 0.001) and cardiorespiratory fitness (β = 0.24, p < 0.05), and indirectly related to depressive symptoms scores (β = − 0.03, p < 0.001) and physical QoL (β = − 0.04, p < 0.001), mediated by BMI and cardiorespiratory fitness, respectively
Body mass index was directly related to cardiorespiratory fitness (β = − 0.33, p < 0.001) and depressive symptoms scores (β = 0.12, p < 0.05)
Summary
Quality of life (QoL), a subset of health defined by the World Health Organisation to include the physical, mental and social well-being of a person [1], is widely recognised as a fundamental element in the evaluation of population health [2] and should be considered the underlying target for health interventions [3]. Cardiorespiratory fitness and BMI have been associated with additional health-related parameters that can influence QoL, namely, mental well-being and physical activity [9, 10]. Relating to QoL, those suffering from mental health issues, or not meeting physical activity guidelines of 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day, are at greater risk of a poor QoL [11, 12]. Despite these predictors being identified, the interaction between them and the influence of mental health on QoL remains to be elucidated. Vigorous physical activity levels have the potential to indirectly affect QoL through symptoms of depression, adiposity and cardiovascular fitness
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