Physical Activity and Suicidal Ideation Among Filipino Youth: A Path Analysis of Loneliness and Anxiety

• In Event: Joint Roundtables: Social Psychology Section and Sociology of Emotions Section
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 4 - Mental Health

Abstract

Suicide remains a leading cause of adolescent mortality globally, with a disproportionate burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite growing interest in physical activity as a potential protective factor against suicidality, limited research has examined the psychosocial mechanisms linking physical activity to suicidal ideation in LMIC contexts. The present study investigates whether physical activity is associated with suicidal ideation among Filipino adolescents, both directly and indirectly through loneliness and anxiety. Data were drawn from the 2019 Philippines Global School-Based Student Health Survey (N = 9,658). Path analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling. Results indicated that loneliness and anxiety were positively associated with suicidal ideation. Physical activity demonstrated a statistically significant but modest total association with suicidal ideation and was indirectly related through both loneliness and anxiety, consistent with partial mediation. Although effect sizes were small, findings suggest that internalizing symptoms play a central role in adolescent suicidal vulnerability and may represent key mechanisms through which behavioral factors operate. By situating the analysis within a culturally specific LMIC context, this study extends existing research beyond high-income settings and highlights the importance of behavioral engagement with interventions targeting emotional distress and social connectedness in suicide prevention efforts among Filipino youth.

Author

• Jorge Manuel Balboa Chia, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign