ASSESSING THE PREVALENCE AND DIFFERENCES IN PHYSICAL INACTIVITY, POOR SLEEP QUALITY AND MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS AMONG SCHOOL-GOING AND COLLEGE-GOING ADOLESCENTS

Abstract

Background: Adolescents face significant health challenges, including physical inactivity, poor sleep quality (SQ), and mental health problems, which can adversely affect their overall well-being and academic performance. These issues are particularly concerning among school-going and college-going adolescents due to their unique developmental and social environments. Understanding the prevalence and differences in these factors is essential to develop interventions aimed at improving their health outcomes and quality of life.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and differences in physical inactivity, poor SQ, and mental health problems among school-going and college-going adolescents.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was employed, with a sample of 400 adolescents: 200 school-going participants recruited from three schools and 200 college-going participants from two colleges in Lahore, Pakistan. Inclusion criteria required participants to be 10–18 years old and not diagnosed with mental or sleep disorders. Data collection tools included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) for sleep quality, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) for physical activity levels, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for mental health assessment. Descriptive statistics and independent samples t-tests were conducted using SPSS V22.0, with significance set at p < 0.05.

Results: The study revealed that 52.0% of college-going adolescents reported low physical activity levels, compared to 33.0% of school-going adolescents. Medium activity levels were observed in 42.5% of college students and 45.0% of school students, while high activity levels were higher in school-going adolescents (22.0%) compared to college-going adolescents (5.5%). Poor SQ was observed in 65.0% of college-going adolescents versus 47.5% of school-going adolescents. Mental health problems categorized as abnormal were reported in 45.5% of college students and 43.5% of school students, with no significant differences between the groups (t(398) = -0.33, p = 0.739).

Conclusion: The findings highlight the high prevalence of inactivity, poor SQ, and mental health problems among adolescents, emphasizing the need for interventions targeting physical activity to improve sleep and mental health outcomes. Comprehensive approaches addressing multiple dimensions of adolescent well-being are critical for fostering improved academic and health outcomes.