Physical activity in European adolescents and associations with anxiety, depression and well-being
Open accessAbstract
In this cross-sectional study, physical activity, sport participation and associations with well-being, anxiety and depressive symptoms were examined in a large representative sample of European adolescents. A school-based survey was completed by 11,110 adolescents from ten European countries who took part in the SEYLE (Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe) study. The questionnaire included items assessing physical activity, sport participation and validated instruments assessing well-being (WHO-5), depressive symptoms (BDI-II) and anxiety (SAS). Multi-level mixed effects linear regression was used to examine associations between physical activity/sport participation and mental health measures. A minority of the sample (17.9 % of boys and 10.7 % of girls; p < 0.0005) reported sufficient activity based on WHO guidelines (60 min + daily). The mean number of days of at least 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous activity in the past 2 weeks was 7.5 ± 4.4 among boys and 5.9 days ± 4.3 among girls. Frequency of activity was positively correlated with well-being and negatively correlated with both anxiety and depressive symptoms, up to a threshold of moderate frequency of activity. In a multi-level mixed effects model more frequent physical activity and participation in sport were both found to independently contribute to greater well-being and lower levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms in both sexes. Increasing activity levels and sports participation among the least active young people should be a target of community and school-based interventions to promote well-being. There does not appear to be an additional benefit to mental health associated with meeting the WHO-recommended levels of activity.
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Physical activity and sleep duration are two volitational, lifestyle-related behaviors that have been identified as being associated with the prevalence of anxiety and depression among adolescents.
“Physical activity and sleep duration are two volitational, lifestyle-related behaviors that have been identified as being associated with the prevalence of anxiety and depression among adolescents [9,10,11,12,13].”
From Academic Stress, Physical Activity, Sleep, and Mental Health among Chinese Adolescents (2021) · cites this paper as [11]
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- Authors
- McMahon, E. M., Corcoran, P., O’Regan, G., Keeley, H., Cannon, M., Carli, V., Wasserman, C., Hadlaczky, G., Sarchiapone, M., Apter, A., Balazs, J., Balint, M., Bobes, J., Brunner, R., Cozman, D., Haring, C., Iosue, M., Kaess, M., Kahn, J.-P., Nemes, B., Podlogar, T., Poštuvan, V., Sáiz, P., Sisask, M., Tubiana, A., Värnik, P., Hoven, C. W., & Wasserman, D.
- Affiliations
- University College Cork (IE)
- Health Service Executive (IE)
- Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (IE)
- Karolinska Institutet (SE)
- University of Molise (IT)
- Tel Aviv University (IL)
- Universidad de Oviedo (ES)
- Heidelberg University (DE)
- Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy (RO)
- Université de Lorraine (FR)
- University of Primorska (SI)
- Tallinn University (EE)
- Estonian-Swedish Mental Health and Suicidology Institute (EE)
- New York State Psychiatric Institute (US)
- Corresponding author
- McMahon, Elaine M.
- ORCID
- Venue
- European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
- Published
- 2016-06-09
- Volume
- 26
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 111-122
- ISSN
- 1018-8827 (ISSN-L)
- 1435-165X
- OpenAlex
- W2415964388
- Cited by
- 636
- References
- 9
- Citations by year
- 2026: 50 · 2025: 85 · 2024: 79 · 2023: 76 · 2022: 96 · 2021: 75 · 2020: 77 · 2019: 44 · 2018: 37 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 4
- FWCI
- 26.30
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-nd
- www.springer.com/tdm (unspecified)
- Locations
- European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Consultation of the Doctoral Thesis Database (TESEO) (Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- Archivio Istituzionale della Ricerca - Università degli Studi del Molise (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) (HEALTH-F2-2009-223091)
- Health Research Board Ireland ((HRB/ICE/2012/11))
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Social Sciences › Life-span and Life-course Studies › Sports and Physical Education Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Keywords
- physical activity, sports participation, adolescents, anxiety, depressive symptoms, well-being, mental health, WHO physical activity guidelines, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, sex differences
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Anxiety, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depression, Europe, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Surveys and Questionnaires, Schools, Sports, Exercise
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