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. 2024 Sep 23;10(3):e002069.
doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2024-002069. eCollection 2024.

Are perceived barriers to physical activity related to depression, anxiety and stress among adolescents? The EHDLA study

Edina Maria de Camargo  1 , Sitong Chen  2 , Rubén López-Bueno  3 , Arthur Eumann Mesas  4 , Bruno Bizzozero-Peroni  4   5 , Nerea Martín-Calvo  6   7   8 , Estela Jiménez-López  4   9 , José Francisco López-Gil  10
Affiliations

Are perceived barriers to physical activity related to depression, anxiety and stress among adolescents? The EHDLA study

Edina Maria de Camargo et al. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. .

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was twofold: first, to examine the association between perceived barriers to physical activity (PA) practice and depression, anxiety and stress in a sample of Spanish adolescents; and second, to determine which barriers are specifically associated with depression, anxiety and stress.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 765 adolescents aged 12-17 (55.6% girls) in the Valle of Ricote, Murcia, Spain. Depression, anxiety and stress symptoms were assessed using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), with validated cut points employed to determine the presence of each of these mental conditions. The perception of barriers to PA was assessed using a validated questionnaire for the Spanish adolescent population.

Results: The barrier 'Because I feel that my physical appearance is worse than that of others' was related to a higher likelihood of having depression (OR=2.41; 95% CI 1.35 to 4.28; p=0.003), anxiety (OR=2.65; 95% CI 1.51 to 4.71; p=0.001) and stress (OR=2.82; 95% CI 1.59 to 5.07; p<0.001). Similarly, the barrier 'Because nobody encourages me to engage in physical activity' was related to a higher likelihood of having depression (OR=1.92; 95% CI 1.08 to 3.43; p=0.026), anxiety (OR=1.97; 95% CI 1.11 to 3.50; p=0.021) and stress (OR=1.99; 95% CI 1.12 to 3.59; p=0.021).

Conclusion: Perceived barriers to PA related to physical appearance and social support seem to be associated with a greater likelihood of depression, anxiety and stress among Spanish adolescents.

Keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Physical activity; Stress; Well-being.

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Conflict of interest statement

None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Curvilinear associations between the number of barriers to physical activity (PA) and the number of depression, anxiety or stress symptoms among adolescents. Adjusted for age, sex, socioeconomic status, body mass index, PA, sedentary behaviour and overall sleep duration.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Adjusted ORs and 95% CIs of having depression, anxiety and stress symptoms according to barriers to physical activity (PA) status among adolescents. Adjusted for age, sex, socioeconomic status, body mass index, PA, sedentary behaviour and overall sleep duration.
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