Association Between Physical Activity, Quality of Life, Barriers to Physical Activity, and Mental Health in Chilean Adolescents: The MOV-ES Study

Objective: To analyze the association between physical activity, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and perceived barriers to physical activity with the risk of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress in Chilean adolescents. Method: A quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational study was conducted with a sample of 351 secondary school students (mean age = 15.75 ± 1.47 years) from several educational institutions in the south-central region of Chile. Validated instruments were used to assess physical activity (PAQ-A), symptoms of mental health (DASS-21), HRQoL (Kidscreen-52), and the short scale of barriers to physical activity. For exploratory purposes, mental health outcomes were dichotomized based on standard cut-off scores, and binary logistic regression models were estimated to identify associated factors. Results: Based on the binary categorization, a substantial proportion of students exceeded the risk thresholds for depressive (54.4%), anxiety (63%), and stress symptoms (42.2%). Across models, lower physical activity levels, reduced autonomy and weaker relationships with parents, and barriers related to self-concept and motivation were consistently associated with higher mental health risk. Additionally, passive commuting and the perceived school environment emerged as specific predictors of stress and depression risk, respectively. Conclusions: These findings suggest that individual and contextual factors linked to lifestyle behaviors and perceived social support may play a critical role in adolescent mental health, and could represent key targets for school-based interventions.