Body Fat Mediates Association between Active Living and Health among Adolescents

Stanislava Stranavska, Daniela Husarova, Jiri Michal, Karol Gorner and Jaroslava Kopcakova
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Stanislava Stranavska: Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Arts, Matej Bel University, 974 01 Banska Bystrica, Slovakia
Daniela Husarova: Department of Health Psychology and Research Methodology, Faculty of Medicine, P.J. Safarik University, 040 11 Kosice, Slovakia
Jiri Michal: Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Arts, Matej Bel University, 974 01 Banska Bystrica, Slovakia
Karol Gorner: Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Arts, Matej Bel University, 974 01 Banska Bystrica, Slovakia
Jaroslava Kopcakova: Department of Health Psychology and Research Methodology, Faculty of Medicine, P.J. Safarik University, 040 11 Kosice, Slovakia

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 16, 1-9

Abstract: The aim of this study was to explore the association of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and organized leisure-time activities with self-rated health among adolescents and whether these associations are mediated by body fat percentage. We used data on 888 adolescents (mean age 12.97, SD 1.20, 56.0% boys) from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study conducted in 2018 in Slovakia. We used logistic regression models to examine associations within self-reported data (moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and organized leisure-time activities with self-rated health) and their mediation by anthropometric data (body fat percentage). The adolescents who were sufficiently physically active and with normal body fat were more likely to report good or excellent health (odds ratios—OR/95% confidence intervals—95% CI: 3.52/1.50–8.27 and 3.66/2.37–5.68). Similarly, the adolescents who were engaged in individual/team sport and with normal body fat were more likely to report good or excellent health (OR/95% CI: 2.04/1.31–3.17 and 3.66/2.37–5.68). Adjustment for body fat percentage reduced the association between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and self-rated health by 27.6% and the association between leisure-time activities and self-rated health by 30.7%. Active living and normal body fat might contribute to better health in adolescence. Programs and efforts to increase physical activity and leisure-time activities in childhood and adolescence need to identify which aspects of these activities are important, effective, and crucial for the population of adolescents.

Keywords: physical activity; organized leisure-time activities; self-rated health; body fat percentage; adolescents; health behavior; Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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