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Longitudinal Study on Correlations Between Body Image, Physical Activity, and the Subjective Well-Being Among Adolescents Aged 14-16.

Noora MatilainenHugo BlombergAnn-Christin SollerhedEva-Lena EinbergPernilla Garmy
Published in: The Journal of school nursing : the official publication of the National Association of School Nurses (2023)
This study examined the relationship between physical activity, body image, and subjective well-being among Swedish adolescents over time. Surveying 2308 students, with 137 providing longitudinal data, we conducted a multivariate logistic regression analysis. No significant correlations were found between physical activity ( p  = .268), body functioning ( p  = .567), or body appearance ( p  = .075) at age 14 and subjective well-being at age 16. Among control variables, sex ( p  = .038) and subjective well-being at age 14 ( p  = .013) showed significant correlations, while economic status did not ( p  = .39). The correlation between a positive subjective well-being at age 14 and age 16 indicates the importance of impacting the sense of well-being early. Further longitudinal studies are needed to explore the potential long-term correlation between body image and adolescent subjective well-being.
Keyphrases
  • physical activity
  • sleep quality
  • young adults
  • body mass index
  • mental health
  • depressive symptoms