Physical activity and the development of general mental health problems or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children and adolescents: A cross-lagged panel analysis of long-term follow-up epidemiological data

Abstract

Studies have shown that physical activity (PA) can provide a helpful, low-risk, and cost-effective intervention for children and adolescents suffering from mental health problems. This longitudinal study aimed to assess whether PA prevents the development of mental health problems, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. Data were analyzed from the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS) collected from more than 15.000 children and adolescents at three different time points over a period of more than 10 years. Parents scored the PA of the study participants on three frequency levels according to WHO recommendations, and mental health problems were assessed by means of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The total problem score (SDQ-Total) and the hyperactivity/inattention symptoms sub-scale (SDQ-H/I) were used in an autoregressive cross-lagged model to examine their relationship with PA. The results showed that PA of boys and girls at preschool age was inversely associated with the occurrence of mental health problems and, in particular, ADHD symptoms about 6 years later. Higher levels of PA were associated with better general mental health and fewer ADHD symptoms at the next time point (Wave 1). These effects were not observed from preadolescence (Wave 1) to adolescence (Wave 2), neither for girls nor for boys. These findings indicate that medium-to-high PA may be a supportive factor for good mental health in children in preschool and elementary school. Future studies will have to show whether PA may be a helpful add-on for interventional programs for improving general mental health and alleviating ADHD symptoms among children and adolescents.

Physical activity and psychopathology: are long-term developmental trajectories of physical activity in children and adolescents associated with trajectories of general mental health problems and of attention-deficit hyperactivity (ADHD) symptoms?

“…Contrary to expectations, we could not find a significant association between long-term trajectories of general mental health problems or ADHD symptoms on the one hand and PA trajectories on the other. In two earlier cross-sectional and longitudinal follow-up studies [29,30], it was shown that high weekly PA may play a protective role concerning general mental health problems and ADHD symptoms. Unfortunately, in our trajectory study there was no trajectory group with a continuously high-level of PA; instead, PA trended to wax and wane.…”

“…Related to ADHD, cross-sectional and longitudinal follow-up studies have demonstrated that PA may have a positive impact on general mental health problems and ADHD symptoms [29,30], although previous studies have indicated that there is considerable heterogeneity in the developmental course of ADHD symptoms [15,[31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41]. Furthermore, in 1571 children and adolescents (7-15 years old) the growth mixture model for hyperactivity/impulsivity found three classes, different for boys and girls [42].…”

Associations between Parental Educational Attainment, Children’s 24-h Behaviors and Children’s Hyperactivity Behavior in the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…PA is recognized for its efficacy in regulating physical and mental well-being [ 43 , 75 , 76 ]. In the demanding environment of intensive learning, children might require increased PA to manage psychological stress and emotions, ultimately aiding in reducing CHI [ 77 ]. Intriguingly, while traditionally accepted views propose a negative association between adequate sleep and hyperactivity levels in children, our research results unveiled a notable positive correlation between CSL and CHI among children with PTE.…”

Patterns of Physical Activity of Adolescents With ADHD in the School Context: A Cross-Sectional Study for Clinical Practice

“…However, there exists a significant proportion of individuals for whom these treatments are not effective. In this way, physical activity (PA) has been proposed as a promising form of adjunctive treatment for ADHD because it has a positive impact on symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity in children and adolescents with ADHD (Chan et al, 2022; Christiansen et al, 2019; Ganjeh et al, 2021, 2022; Gapin & Etnier, 2014; Holton & Nigg, 2020; Jeyanthi et al, 2019; Koch et al, 2022; Mercurio et al, 2021; Xie et al, 2021). It should be considered that PA influences the same catecholaminergic systems as stimulant drugs commonly used in the treatment of ADHD (Ben-Amor, 2014; J.…”