The impact of life stresses on physical activity participation during adolescence : a 5-year longitudinal study

Life stresses (LS) could affect levels of physical activity (PA) during adolescence, however research is limited. As different types of PA may have different determinants, the effects of LS on participation in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and on organized and unorganized PA (OPA, UPA) were examined in a sample of 937 students (10–11 years-old) followed up over five years. Questionnaires were administered three times per year as part of the Monitoring Activities for Teenagers to Comprehend their Habits (MATCH) study. A total of 16 survey cycles were available for this analysis. At each survey cycle, participants reported exposure to nineteen LS, number of days per week attaining at least 60 min of MVPA, and participation in OPA and in UPA. LS were classified as personal or extrinsic life events, or personal or extrinsic life circumstances. Relationships among the four LS categories and PA outcomes were assessed using gender stratified mixed effects models. Personal circumstances attenuated the increase in MVPA in late childhood, and accentuated the decrease in MVPA in early adolescence (p < 0.001). In contrast, experiencing more extrinsic events attenuated the decrease in the number of reported UPA (p < 0.05). Among girls, experiencing more personal events attenuated the decrease in the number of UPA and OPA by 4.8% and 5.1% respectively. Among boys, experiencing more extrinsic circumstances attenuated the decrease in the number of UPA by 3.4%. The effect of LS on PA differed by gender and by type of PA, highlighting the need for careful tailoring of interventions.