Estimating Whether Replacing Time in Active Outdoor Play and Sedentary Video Games With Active Video Games Influences Youth's Mental Health
Abstract
Purpose The primary objective was to use isotemporal substitution models to estimate whether replacing time spent in sedentary video games (SVGs) and active outdoor play (AOP) with active video games (AVGs) would be associated with changes in youth's mental health. Methods A representative sample of 20,122 Canadian youth in Grades 6-10 was studied. The exposure variables were average hours/day spent playing AVGs, SVGs, and AOP. The outcomes consisted of a negative and internalizing mental health indicator (emotional problems), a positive and internalizing mental health indicator (life satisfaction), and a positive and externalizing mental health indicator (prosocial behavior). Isotemporal substitution models estimated the extent to which replacing time spent in SVGs and AOP with an equivalent amount of time in AVGs had on the mental health indicators. Results Replacing 1 hour/day of SVGs with 1 hour/day of AVGs was associated with a 6% (95% confidence interval: 3%-9%) reduced probability of high emotional problems, a 4% (2%-7%) increased probability of high life satisfaction, and a 13% (9%-16%) increased probability of high prosocial behavior. Replacing 1 hour/day of AOP with 1 hour/day of AVGs was associated with a 7% (3%-11%) increased probability of high emotional problems, a 3% (1%-5%) reduced probability of high life satisfaction, and a 6% (2%-9%) reduced probability of high prosocial behavior. Conclusions Replacing SVGs with AVGs was associated with more preferable mental health indicators. Conversely, replacing AOP with AVGs was associated with more deleterious mental health indicators.
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The association between ST and mental health goes beyond displacement of physical activity, and outdoor environments may provide unique benefits to mental health.
“This provides some limited evidence to suggest that the association between ST and mental health goes beyond displacement of physical activity and that outdoor environments may provide unique benefits to mental health.”
From Psychological impacts of “screen time” and “green time” for children and adolescents: A systematic scoping review (2020) · cites this paper as [236]
Fourteen studies identified in this systematic scoping review measured both ST and GT.
“Fourteen studies identified in this systematic scoping review measured both ST and GT [234–238, 242–250].”
From Psychological impacts of “screen time” and “green time” for children and adolescents: A systematic scoping review (2020) · cites this paper as [236]
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- Authors
- Janssen, I.
- Affiliations
- Queen's University (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Janssen, Ian
- ORCID
- Janssen, Ian
- Venue
- Journal of Adolescent Health
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2016-11
- Volume
- 59
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 517-522
- ISSN
- 1054-139X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2511330545
- Cited by
- 38
- References
- 34
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 6
- FWCI
- 2.42
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Adolescent Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Public Health Agency
- Canada Research Chairs
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Social Sciences › Education › Child Development and Digital Technology
- Keywords
- exergames, outdoor play, youth mental health, emotional problems, life satisfaction, prosocial behavior, isotemporal substitution, screen time, adolescents
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adolescent Behavior, Canada, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Quality of Life, Recreation, Time Factors, Exercise, Video Games, Sedentary Behavior
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