Personal Time, Parental Fairness, School Adjustment and Physical Activity Levels as Indicators of Executive Functions in Children and Adolescents

Executive functions (EFs) are key cognitive processes for behaviour. However, there is little information about interaction with the dimensions of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), therefore the objective of this study was to analyse the association between lifestyle habits (physical activity and screen time), sleep, HRQoL and EFs in children and adolescents. Specifically, this study aimed to identify the extent to which perceived well-being dimensions are associated with EFs and to determine the potential mediating role of HRQoL in the relationships between lifestyle habits and these cognitive domains, examining whether these direct and indirect pathways remain robust after adjusting for gender and age. A total of 943 children and adolescents (51.3% female) aged 10–17 years participated. Lifestyle parameters (PA Krece Plus, sleep duration and KIDSCREEN-10 questionnaire) and EFs (CogniFit neurocognitive assessment battery) were evaluated. The analysis of the individual KIDSCREEN-10 items revealed that perception of school performance presented the most consistent association with EFs, being positively related to attention (b = 16.39, p = 0.018), cognitive flexibility (b = 30.65, p = 0.005), inhibition (b = 24.66, p = 0.022), and working Memory (b = 42.33, p < 0.001). Furthermore, parental fairness reported a significant association for three out of four domains: attention (b = 13.89, p = 0.006), flexibility (b = 22.93, p = 0.003), and working Memory (b = 25.42, p < 0.001). Having enough time for self was also significantly related to attention performance (b = 12.60, p = 0.026). Regarding lifestyle habits, the composite lifestyle index (PA + ST) showed the most consistent positive association across all cognitive domains, while sleep duration was inversely associated with attention, cognitive flexibility, and working Memory. The mediation analysis revealed that global HRQoL significantly mediated the relationship between lifestyle habits and executive functions, accounting for 9.55% of the total effect on attention, 5.45% on cognitive flexibility, and 4.14% on working memory, whereas no mediation was observed for inhibition. In conclusion personal time, parental fairness, and school adjustment were positively associated with EFs. HRQoL and physical activity levels also showed consistent links with all EFs, whereas sleep duration was inversely related. Furthermore, mediation analysis revealed that global HRQoL acts as a critical indirect pathway, explaining a significant proportion of the lifestyle habits’ total effect on attention, cognitive flexibility, and working memory. Overall, these findings highlight the multifactorial and interrelated mechanisms shaping executive functioning in children and adolescents.