Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
BMC Public Health. 2020 Jun 18;20(1):958. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-09102-9.
Healthy lifestyles may contribute to better mental health, which is particularly important in adolescence, an age at which half of all mental health problems first occur. This association may be even more relevant in adolescents of low family affluence, who show more mental health problems, as well as more unhealthy lifestyles. This study investigated healthy lifestyle behaviors, namely sufficient sleep and physical activity, daily breakfast intake, low levels of alcohol use or smoking, in relation to mental health and symptoms of mental health problems (feelings of depression, anxiety, stress and self-esteem) among adolescents from different family affluence. Furthermore, the moderating role of family affluence was examined in those relations.
Adolescents aged 12-18y were recruited via a random sample of schools in Flanders, Belgium. A total of 1037 adolescents participated (mean age = 15.2, 49.8% female). Independent samples t-tests, Mann Whitney U-tests and χ-tests determined the differences in healthy lifestyle behaviors and mental health indicators between adolescents of low-medium and high family affluence. Regression analyses assessed the association between healthy lifestyles and mental health outcomes and the moderating role of family affluence.
All healthy lifestyle behaviors were associated with at least one mental health outcome, with the exception of alcohol consumption. Adolescents from low-medium family affluence had lower levels of physical activity, less often took breakfast, had lower levels of alcohol consumption and reported lower self-esteem than adolescents from high family affluence. The results showed no moderating effect of family affluence for the association between healthy lifestyle and mental health.
These findings support the value of integrating healthy lifestyle behaviors in interventions for mental health promotion, for both youth of low-medium and high family affluence.
健康的生活方式可能有助于改善心理健康，这在青少年时期尤为重要，因为一半的心理健康问题都发生在这个年龄段。对于家庭经济条件较差的青少年来说，这种关联可能更为重要，因为他们表现出更多的心理健康问题和不健康的生活方式。本研究调查了健康的生活方式行为，即充足的睡眠和体育锻炼、每天吃早餐、低水平的饮酒或吸烟，与来自不同家庭经济条件的青少年的心理健康以及心理健康问题的症状（抑郁、焦虑、压力和自尊感）之间的关系。此外，还研究了家庭经济条件在这些关系中的调节作用。
通过比利时佛兰德斯的随机学校样本招募了 12-18 岁的青少年。共有 1037 名青少年参与（平均年龄为 15.2 岁，女性占 49.8%）。独立样本 t 检验、Mann Whitney U 检验和 χ 检验确定了低-中家庭经济条件和高家庭经济条件的青少年在健康生活方式行为和心理健康指标方面的差异。回归分析评估了健康生活方式与心理健康结果之间的关联，以及家庭经济条件的调节作用。
除了饮酒外，所有健康的生活方式行为都与至少一种心理健康结果有关。来自低-中家庭经济条件的青少年的体育活动水平较低，早餐吃得较少，饮酒水平较低，自尊感较低，而来自高家庭经济条件的青少年则较高。结果表明，家庭经济条件对健康生活方式与心理健康之间的关联没有调节作用。
这些发现支持了将健康生活方式行为纳入促进心理健康干预的价值，无论是对于家庭经济条件较低还是较高的青少年都适用。
