Beyond total physical activity: Exploring whether between-day patterns are associated with mental health in adolescents

Between-day physical activity (PA) patterns have been shown to vary among adolescents, but its relevance for mental health is unclear. The present study examined the association of between-day PA patterns with symptoms of depression and anxiety in adolescents, and whether associations were moderated by developmental factors (e.g., sex, puberty). Data were drawn from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Accelerometer data at 11-12 years were used to derive PA patterns: the proportion of total PA (TPA) on weekend day, the proportion of TPA on the 2 most active days, and between-day variability patterns (standard deviation of TPA across 7 days and the standard deviation of changes in TPA between the consecutive days). Mental health outcomes (depression, anxiety, and emotion problems) were assessed at 12-13 and 14-15 years. The final analysis included 803 participants (403 female: mean baseline age = 11.9 ± 0.3 years). Results showed that a higher proportion of TPA on a weekend (at 11-12 years) was associated with lower levels of depression (at 14-15 years: p = 0.02, 12-15 years change: p = 0.03) and anxiety (at 12-13 years: p = 0.03). Whereas a higher proportion of TPA on the 2 most active days and higher between-day variability, was related to higher levels of depression and anxiety across ages 12-15 years ( p -value ranged: 0.008-0.04). Moderation analysis showed stronger associations in females and prepubertal adolescents. Between-day PA patterns are associated with mental health in adolescence. Increasing weekend activity, reducing between-day variability and maintaining sufficient daily PA may be important to promote mental health in adolescents.