The Impact of COVID-19 on Adolescent Females’ Physical Activity and Mental Health

• In Event: Poster Session 04
  In Poster Session: PS 04 Topic - Solicited Content: COVID-19 Related

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically disrupted adolescents’ social and emotional lives, with youth reporting increased anxiety and depressive symptoms (internalizing symptoms) (Chen et al., 2020). The CDC recently recommended physical activity (PhyA) as a way to combat COVID-19-related stress ("Coping with Stress," 2020) and previous research has shown PhyA to be associated with a reduction in perceived stress (Herbert et al., 2020) and internalizing symptoms amongst pre-adolescents (Philippot et al., 2019). Notably, research has shown that internalizing symptoms are more prevalent in adolescent females compared to males (Rescorla et al., 2007). In this study, we investigated the impact of PhyA on adolescents’ daily positive affect, negative affect, and internalizing symptoms (anxiety and depression) during COVID-19. We predicted that adolescent females who engage in more PhysA would exhibit improved mood (increased positive affect, reduced negative affect) and fewer internalizing symptoms.

Ninety-three adolescent females (ages 12-17; M = 15.02; 68% Caucasian) were recruited from a larger longitudinal study of girls at-risk for anxiety and depression that included a COVID-19 follow-up. All procedures of the present study were completed during the initial stay-at-home orders for the study’s geographical region (April 2020–May 2020). Adolescents completed an online daily diary protocol for ten days (88% compliance) to record their daily physical activity, positive affect, negative affect, and internalizing symptoms. On each diary adolescents rated their mood on five positive affect and five negative affect dimensions using sliding scales (0–100). Anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed via the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (7 items; Spitzer et al., 2006) and Patient Health Questionnaire (6 items; Kroenke et al., 2001), respectively. A mixed effects model using Bayes estimation with 4 DVS (positive affect, negative affect, anxiety, depression) estimated PhyA as a within- and between-level predictor.

As shown in Table 1, within-person analyses revealed that girls reported more positive affect and fewer depressive symptoms on days when they engaged in greater PhysA. There was no within-person effect of PhysA on negative affect or anxiety symptoms. Between-person analyses demonstrated that girls who completed more PhysA across the 10-day study period exhibited greater positive affect. There was no between-person effect of PhysA on negative affect, anxiety symptoms, or depressive symptoms.

Findings suggest that PhysA may play an important role in mitigating the emotional and psychological toll of COVID-19 amongst adolescents. Specifically, PhysA had a beneficial effect on positive affect and depressive symptoms at the daily-level. Endorphins released through PhysA may increase positive affect and alleviate depressive symptoms (Dishman & O’Connor, 2009), however, more work is needed to better understand mechanisms driving the effect PhysA on mood. As youth will likely face other global stressors in their lifetime (e.g. climate change, future pandemics), it may be important to consider PhysA as a potential intervention target to combat stress related to global crises.

Authors

• Maria R Evankovich, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
  Presenting Author

• Emily Anne Hutchinson, University of Pittsburgh
  Non-Presenting Author

• Lori Scott, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
  Non-Presenting Author

• Cecile D Ladouceur, University of Pittsburgh
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jennifer S. Silk, University of Pittsburgh
  Non-Presenting Author