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Adolescent mental health and cardiorespiratory fitness : A comparison of two cohorts 12 years apart

Adolescent mental health and cardiorespiratory fitness : A comparison of two cohorts 12 years apart


Title: Adolescent mental health and cardiorespiratory fitness : A comparison of two cohorts 12 years apart
Author: Birgisson, Ottar
Eriksen, Hege R.
Hysing, Mari
Johannsson, Erlingur
Gestsdottir, Sunna   orcid.org/0000-0002-6252-0453
Date: 2024-05-15
Language: English
Scope: 788457
Department: Faculty of Education and Diversity
Faculty of Health Promotion, Sports and Leisure Studies
Series: PLoS ONE; 19(5)
ISSN: 1932-6203
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300810
Subject: Adolescent; Anxiety; Body Image/psychology; Cardiorespiratory Fitness/physiology; Cohort Studies; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression/epidemiology; Female; Humans; Male; Mental Health; Self Concept; Multidisciplinary
URI: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/4972

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Citation:

Birgisson , O , Eriksen , H R , Hysing , M , Johannsson , E & Gestsdottir , S 2024 , ' Adolescent mental health and cardiorespiratory fitness : A comparison of two cohorts 12 years apart ' , PLoS ONE , vol. 19 , no. 5 , e0300810 , pp. 1-15 . https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0300810

Abstract:

The aim of the study was to compare the mental health and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) of adolescents in two cross-sectional cohorts, one measured in 2003 and the other in 2015, both at age 15 and across sexes. The study also sought to estimate the association between mental health and CRF in the two cohorts and examine the relationship between the level of CRF and mental health in each cohort overall and by sex. Data from 443 participants born in 1988 (228 males, 215 females) and 303 participants born in 1999 (126 males, 177 females) were analyzed. Mental health was assessed using self-reports of body image, self-esteem, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. CRF was estimated using a maximal cycle ergometer test. From 2003 to 2015, body image scores improved (p = .043), self-esteem remained stable, and CRF declined significantly (p < .001). No self-esteem differences were observed between sexes in any cohort. Males had higher CRF and body image scores than females in both cohorts (p < .001 for all comparisons). Higher CRF correlated with fewer depressive symptoms across sexes and cohorts. Specifically, higher CRF was associated with anxiety in females and improved body image in males (2003) and both sexes (2015). Increased CRF was linked to higher self-esteem in females but not in males. Overall, higher CRF levels were associated with better mental health outcomes for both sexes. These results highlight the potential of improving adolescent mental health through increased physical fitness.

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Publisher Copyright: © 2024 Birgisson et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

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