Abstract
Purpose
Accumulating life stress is a driving factor underlying the most pervasive, incapacitating health conditions in 21st century, First World societies. The most widely supported strategy, for remediating the negative health consequences of elevated life stress, is physical activity (PA). Evidence also suggests accumulating life stress impedes PA uptake. Thus, ironically, persistently elevated life stress not only negatively impacts multiple dimensions of health, simultaneously it may also reduce likelihood of participation in the most effective remediating strategy, PA. This study sought to compare patterns of PA uptake in adolescents of low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds, a significant risk factor for elevated biopsychosocial stress, with more affluent age-matched peers. Related health behaviours such as smoking and alcohol consumption were also analysed.
Methods
PA patterns were determined using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for High School (PAQA). Stress scores were assessed using the 10-item perceived stress scale (PSS-10).
Results
PA scores were significantly different between groups (p < 0.05). Low SES participants were significantly less active every day (p < 0.05), excepting Saturdays (U = 31.0, Z = −1.594, p = < 0.05). Spearman’s correlation demonstrated an inverse relationship between total stress and PA during spare time (rs = −0.61, n = 10, p = < 0.05).
Conclusion
These findings add to mounting evidence suggesting excessively accumulating life stress, not only diminishes health, but simultaneously reduces PA uptake in vulnerable populations. Thereby highlighting the bidirectional relationship between stress and PA. These findings support proposals that conventional Physical Education practice should be re-framed to not only provide PA during school years, but to promote lifelong interest in PA.
Implications and contributions: This study expands on previous research on the association of PA and stress, and finds that PA and stress are bidirectional. These findings add to existing evidence suggesting stress, during adolescent transition periods, impedes PA uptake. Physical Educators should incorporate the stress remediating effects of PA into practice.
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Articles in the same Issue
- Editorial
- Infectious mononucleosis: be aware of its lethality!
- Original Articles
- Is there a link between self-perceived stress and physical activity levels in Scottish adolescents?
- Does verruca vulgaris affect social anxiety and self-esteem in adolescents?
- Smart phone usage and addiction among dental students in Saudi Arabia: a cross sectional study
- Review
- Health policy making for street children: challenges and strategies
- Original Articles
- Menarche as a predictor of risk-taking behavior in a sample of Hungarian adolescent girls
- Level of Internet use among Greek adolescents with type 1 diabetes
- Clinical outcomes of an inpatient pediatric obesity treatment program in the USA
- Obesity prevalence and contributing factors among adolescents in secondary schools in Pemagatshel district, Bhutan
- Contraception usage among young adult men of a Nigerian university
- Monitoring screen use: a qualitative exploration of family strategies in Swiss homes
- Proposed model for the cultural adaptation of an Internet-based depression prevention intervention (CATCH-IT) for Arab adolescents
- Physical fitness and obesity levels during an academic year followed by summer holidays: an issue of insufficient time for physical activity
- Differences in physical activity, eating habits and risk of obesity among Kuwaiti adolescent boys and girls: a population-based study
- Cardiac anomalies and associated comorbidities in a large adolescent population