Associations between physical activity, affect regulation difficulties, and mental health among Canadian adolescents at two different points of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objective. Although physical activity declined with social distancing measures and stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic, youth who engaged in more physical activity experienced fewer mental health problems. If and how physical activity maintained its protective role throughout the ongoing pandemic remains unclear. This study models associations between three types of physical activity (indoor, outdoor, with parents), affect regulation, and anxious and depressive symptoms in two independent adolescent samples (T1: Summer 2020; T2: Winter 2020/21).

Methods and Measures. Six hundred sixty-two Canadian adolescents (T1: M_age = 15.69, SD = 1.36; 52% girls; 5% trans+) and 675 Canadian adolescents (T2: M_age = 15.80, SD = 1.46; 50% girls; 6% trans+) participated in an online survey. Data included frequency of physical activity indoors, outdoors, and with parents, affect regulation difficulties, and measures of anxious and depressive symptoms.

Results. Multiple-group path analysis showed indoor physical activity had an indirect effect on anxiety and depressive symptoms through affect dysregulation, but only at T1. Physical activity with parents was protective for adolescent anxiety and depressive symptoms at both T1 and T2 and had an indirect effect through affect dysregulation and suppression.

Conclusion. Findings contribute to our understanding of how physical activity protects adolescent mental health, and point to strengthening family supports and recreation opportunities.

Keywords:

• physical activity
• mental health
• adolescents
• COVID-19
• affect regulation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Notes

1 Trans+ includes youth who identified as transgender, nonbinary, Two-Spirit, or another gender-diverse or non-conforming identity.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by University of Victoria Faculty of Social Sciences COVID-19 Research Fund (no number associated with this funding), Social Science and Humanities Research Council Partnership Engage Grant (1008-2020-1065), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Doctoral Award (no number associated with this funding), Michael Smith Health Research BC (18240), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship (756-2020-0508), Canadian Institutes of Health Research Fellowship (no number associated with this funding).