Educação Física escolar e sintomatologia de saúde mental em adolescentes brasileiros – pense 2019

Abstract

Purpose: To comprehensively investigate the connections between Physical Education classes and elements influencing the mental health of Brazilian adolescents, providing a deeper understanding of this relationship and its potential impacts. Methods: This dissertation comprises two studies, with the first already published and the second submitted. Study 1 aims to present various elements related to physical activity and mental health in adolescents, given the extensive discussions in the post-pandemic years. Study 2 seeks to examine the associations between Physical Education classes and mental health elements in Brazilian adolescents, resulting in two manuscripts. Results: In Study 1, it was observed that engaging in physical activity is a fundamental element for mitigating the effects of anxiety, depression symptoms, and other mental health issues in adolescents. In Study 2, increased odds of participating in more than two Physical Education classes per week were found for students who reported having "up to two friends" (OR = 1.083; 95% CI = 1.008; 1.164) and "more than two friends" (OR = 1.111; 95% CI = 1.040; 1.191), "never" experiencing feelings leading to suicidal ideation (OR = 1.072; 95% CI = 1.032; 1.13), or "rarely/sometimes" having such feelings (OR =1.073; 95% CI = 1.036; 1.112). General considerations: School-based physical activity is positively correlated with mental health, providing benefits not only to physical well-being but also contributing to psychological balance. This association is reflected in reduced rates of insomnia problems, alleviation of feelings of loneliness, and improvement in body image perception.