Mental health problems among Chinese adolescents during the COVID-19: The importance of nutrition and physical activity

Abstract

Background/Objective Mental health problems are common among adolescents and greatly influenced by stressful events. This study sought to assess the prevalence and correlates of insomnia, depressive and anxiety symptoms among Chinese adolescents during the COVID-19. Method Cross-sectional study ( N = 1794 adolescents, mean age = 15.26) was conducted in May 2020. An online survey was used to collect socio-demographic data, COVID-related fear (COVID-fear), nutrition, physical activity (PA) level and the symptoms of insomnia, depression and anxiety. Results The prevalence of insomnia, depressive and anxiety symptoms was 37.80%, 48.20% and 36.70%, respectively, among Chinese adolescents during the pandemic. Generalized linear models revealed that female, left behind children, and students with greater COVID-fear tended to report symptoms of insomnia, depression and anxiety concurrently. After adjusting for socio-demographic factors and COVID-fear, better nutritional status and moderately active PA were both associated with lower levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms, while highly active PA was associated with lower levels of insomnia, depressive and anxiety symptoms. Conclusions These findings suggest that more attention should be paid to psychological health among adolescents while combating COVID-19. To promote adolescents’ mental health, educators should help adolescents develop a healthy lifestyle with balanced diet and regular exercise.

Associations of Sociodemographic Factors and Health Behaviors with the Emotional Well-Being of Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil

“…The findings also revealed frequent sedentary behaviors, unhealthy food intake, alcohol consumption, and reduction of physical activity during the COVID-19. All these unhealthy habits showed negative associations with worsening of emotional status, corroborating results of other publications [26][27][28]50]. On the other hand, the regular intake of fruits and vegetables as well as the practice of physical activity during the pandemic showed a positive influence on emotional well-being in line with previous evidence [51].…”

“…Anxiety, depression, loneliness, and poor sleep quality are the most common psychological problems [22][23][24][25]. Several modifiable risk and protective factors have been identified in adolescents, with better nutritional status and regular practice of physical activity associated with lower levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms, as well as better sleep quality [26,27], whereas alcohol consumption was associated with higher levels of mental health problems [28]. Moreover, evidence of socioeconomic inequalities has been found for both mental health and healthy lifestyles, and it invariably shows unfavorable data regarding adolescents of disadvantaged families [19,29].…”

The Psychological Symptoms of College Student in China during the Lockdown of COVID-19 Epidemic

“…Although females were more sensitive and emotional to the environment due to biological factors and females experienced greater anxiety and fear in the disaster [35], the present study also discovered that both female and male college students had similar negative psychological symptoms during the epidemic of COVID-19. This conclusion was consistent with previous studies [21,28].…”

Physical Activity, Sedentariness, Eating Behaviour and Well-Being during a COVID-19 Lockdown Period in Greek Adolescents

“…Healthy eating emerged as a secondary significant predictor of better well-being. Indeed, healthy eating in the COVID-19 pandemic is linked to improved well-being components such as lower depressive and anxious symptoms [ 42 ]. However, eating behavioral patterns have deteriorated in the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., number of main meals or snacks between meals, eating out of control or type of food) [ 36 ].…”