Physical Activity, Mental Health, and Quality of Life among School Students in the Jazan Region of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Survey When Returning to School after the COVID-19 Pandemic
Increasing evidence suggests that physical activity (PA) can reduce depression and anxiety in adolescents. At the same time, quality of life (QoL) is sensitive to both mental health and PA, but little is known about the mechanism between these three variables among adolescents. This study aimed to a...
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MDPI AG
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Healthcare |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/7/974 |
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| author | Mohamed Salih Mahfouz Ahmad Y. Alqassim Nasser Hadi Sobaikhi Abdulaziz Salman Jathmi Fahad Omar Alsadi Abdullah Mohammed Alqahtani Mohammed Mohalhil Shajri Ibrahim Darwish Sabi Ahmed M. Wafi Jonathan Sinclair |
| author_facet | Mohamed Salih Mahfouz Ahmad Y. Alqassim Nasser Hadi Sobaikhi Abdulaziz Salman Jathmi Fahad Omar Alsadi Abdullah Mohammed Alqahtani Mohammed Mohalhil Shajri Ibrahim Darwish Sabi Ahmed M. Wafi Jonathan Sinclair |
| author_sort | Mohamed Salih Mahfouz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Increasing evidence suggests that physical activity (PA) can reduce depression and anxiety in adolescents. At the same time, quality of life (QoL) is sensitive to both mental health and PA, but little is known about the mechanism between these three variables among adolescents. This study aimed to assess the physical activity, mental health, and quality of life of school students when they returned to school after two years of distance learning in the Jazan region. This current investigation represented an observational cross-sectional survey conducted in January 2022 among a random sample of 601 students from intermediate and high schools in the Jazan region, Saudi Arabia. Three standardized questionnaires were used for data collection; the Arabic version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL), Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS21), and the Fels PAQ for children. The analysis revealed a moderate level of physical activity, decreased HRQoL, and symptoms of mental health problems (anxiety, depression, and stress) among the schools’ students when they returned to school following COVID-19 lockdown. The overall Pediatric Quality of Life mean score was (81.4 ± 16.4), which differed significantly according to gender, age groups, and grade levels (<i>p</i> < 0.05 for all). There was a negative correlation between the overall quality of life and mental health domains. Sport was negatively correlated with mental illness symptoms and positively correlated (<i>p</i> < 0.05) with Pediatric Quality of Life. The regression models revealed that stress was a significant predictor for the quality of life of male and female adolescents ([β = −0.30, (95% CI (−0.59) to (−0.02), <i>p</i> < 0.05)] and [β = −0.40, (95% CI (−0.70) to (−0.01), <i>p</i> < 0.05)], respectively). The analysis revealed a moderate level of physical activity among the schools’ students when they returned to school following COVID-19 lockdown. Children’s involvement in physical activity was associated with improved quality of life and mental health. The results call for the need to develop appropriate intervention programs to increase school students’ physical activity levels. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:37:16Z |
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| id | doaj.art-d8a9088833de43098204b220e6be7023 |
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| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:37:16Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
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| record_format | Article |
| series | Healthcare |
| spelling | doaj.art-d8a9088833de43098204b220e6be70232023-11-17T16:43:39ZengMDPI AGHealthcare2227-90322023-03-0111797410.3390/healthcare11070974Physical Activity, Mental Health, and Quality of Life among School Students in the Jazan Region of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Survey When Returning to School after the COVID-19 PandemicMohamed Salih Mahfouz0Ahmad Y. Alqassim1Nasser Hadi Sobaikhi2Abdulaziz Salman Jathmi3Fahad Omar Alsadi4Abdullah Mohammed Alqahtani5Mohammed Mohalhil Shajri6Ibrahim Darwish Sabi7Ahmed M. Wafi8Jonathan Sinclair9Family and Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi ArabiaFamily and Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi ArabiaFaculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi ArabiaFaculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi ArabiaFaculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi ArabiaFaculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi ArabiaFaculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi ArabiaFaculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi ArabiaPhysiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi ArabiaResearch Centre for Applied Sport, Physical Activity and Performance, Faculty of Allied Health and Wellbeing, School of Sport & Health Sciences, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE, UKIncreasing evidence suggests that physical activity (PA) can reduce depression and anxiety in adolescents. At the same time, quality of life (QoL) is sensitive to both mental health and PA, but little is known about the mechanism between these three variables among adolescents. This study aimed to assess the physical activity, mental health, and quality of life of school students when they returned to school after two years of distance learning in the Jazan region. This current investigation represented an observational cross-sectional survey conducted in January 2022 among a random sample of 601 students from intermediate and high schools in the Jazan region, Saudi Arabia. Three standardized questionnaires were used for data collection; the Arabic version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL), Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS21), and the Fels PAQ for children. The analysis revealed a moderate level of physical activity, decreased HRQoL, and symptoms of mental health problems (anxiety, depression, and stress) among the schools’ students when they returned to school following COVID-19 lockdown. The overall Pediatric Quality of Life mean score was (81.4 ± 16.4), which differed significantly according to gender, age groups, and grade levels (<i>p</i> < 0.05 for all). There was a negative correlation between the overall quality of life and mental health domains. Sport was negatively correlated with mental illness symptoms and positively correlated (<i>p</i> < 0.05) with Pediatric Quality of Life. The regression models revealed that stress was a significant predictor for the quality of life of male and female adolescents ([β = −0.30, (95% CI (−0.59) to (−0.02), <i>p</i> < 0.05)] and [β = −0.40, (95% CI (−0.70) to (−0.01), <i>p</i> < 0.05)], respectively). The analysis revealed a moderate level of physical activity among the schools’ students when they returned to school following COVID-19 lockdown. Children’s involvement in physical activity was associated with improved quality of life and mental health. The results call for the need to develop appropriate intervention programs to increase school students’ physical activity levels.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/7/974depressionpediatric quality of Lifeenvironmental healthsport and children |
| spellingShingle | Mohamed Salih Mahfouz Ahmad Y. Alqassim Nasser Hadi Sobaikhi Abdulaziz Salman Jathmi Fahad Omar Alsadi Abdullah Mohammed Alqahtani Mohammed Mohalhil Shajri Ibrahim Darwish Sabi Ahmed M. Wafi Jonathan Sinclair Physical Activity, Mental Health, and Quality of Life among School Students in the Jazan Region of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Survey When Returning to School after the COVID-19 Pandemic Healthcare depression pediatric quality of Life environmental health sport and children |
| title | Physical Activity, Mental Health, and Quality of Life among School Students in the Jazan Region of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Survey When Returning to School after the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_full | Physical Activity, Mental Health, and Quality of Life among School Students in the Jazan Region of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Survey When Returning to School after the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Physical Activity, Mental Health, and Quality of Life among School Students in the Jazan Region of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Survey When Returning to School after the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Physical Activity, Mental Health, and Quality of Life among School Students in the Jazan Region of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Survey When Returning to School after the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_short | Physical Activity, Mental Health, and Quality of Life among School Students in the Jazan Region of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Survey When Returning to School after the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_sort | physical activity mental health and quality of life among school students in the jazan region of saudi arabia a cross sectional survey when returning to school after the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | depression pediatric quality of Life environmental health sport and children |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/7/974 |
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