Physical Activities: As the Promotion of Adolescents’ Physical and Mental Health
A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Exercise and Health".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2022) | Viewed by 6959
Special Issue Editors
Interests: the impact of physical activity interventions with respect to physical health (i.e., physical activity levels, body composition, functional movement ability), mental health (e.g., depression, anxiety, stress), and neurocognitive health (i.e., executive function, brain structure, and brain function); behavioral assessments and neuroimaging techniques
Interests: how health behaviors (i.e., sleep, diet, and activity) impact the health (i.e., obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2D), early risk factors for cardiovascular disease) and well-being (i.e., indicators of mental health, depression, anxiety) of children and adolescents; observational methods via both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to first identify key associations with health behaviors and disease risk, and then use these findings to guide intervention strategies with potential for widespread dissemination and implementation
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Physical activity levels during adolescence are related to current and future physical and mental health. Indeed, greater participation in physical activity during adolescence is associated with lower obesity, greater fitness, and better cardiometabolic health. Moreover, physical activity is associated with reductions in current mental health—reduced symptoms of depression, anxiety, and perceived stress in adolescents. However, the relationships between physical activity, physical health, and mental health are complex—they appear to differ by age, sex, the presence of co-occurring mental or physical health conditions, and socioemotional and other environmental characteristics (e.g., socioeconomic status). Additional studies are needed to provide insights regarding the individual and environmental factors that influence the relationship between physical activity, physical health, and mental health in adolescents with and without co-occurring conditions.
Despite the importance of physical activity, adolescents consistently fail to meet the recommended 60 minutes or more of daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Therefore, evidence-based interventions aimed at increasing physical activity and thereby improving physical and/or mental health in this population are needed. Moreover, the barriers and facilitators to implementing these interventions in non-laboratory settings (e.g., home, schools, communities) are necessary to promote physical activity participation in adolescents at most significant risk (e.g., girls and those from low-SES backgrounds).
This Special Issue will showcase innovative and impactful research examining the relationships between adolescent physical activity, physical health, and mental health. We invite researchers to submit findings from cross-sectional and longitudinal studies examining the factors that influence these relationships in diverse samples. We also encourage researchers to submit findings from intervention studies examining the impact of physical activity programs on adolescent physical and mental health.
Dr. Melissa G. Pangelinan
Dr. Jill Kaar
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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