Stepping Stones to Stress Relief: Examining the relation Between Physical Activity, Self-Efficacy, and School-Related Stress in Adolescents

Abstract

The mental health of young people is increasingly challenged. A prevalent issue among them is school-related stress, which adversely affects overall mental health. Physical activity has been proposed as a potential protective factor against stress. However, there has been little research on whether it also protects against school stress and whether this effect may be mediated by self-efficacy. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between physical activity and school stress in Dutch adolescents aged 12-18, and whether this relationship is mediated by self-efficacy. A cross-sectional design was employed, utilizing data from the Dutch HBSC study conducted in 2021. A sample of 5637 secondary education students was analysed using mediation analyses. The results show that physical activity was negatively associated with school stress, explaining 1.5% of its variance. Additionally, physical activity positively influenced self-efficacy, which in turn negatively predicted school stress. The indirect effect of physical activity on school stress through self-efficacy was significant. Even though the effects found are small, these findings highlight the potential role of physical activity in reducing school-related stress among Dutch adolescents, mediated by enhanced self-efficacy. So, interventions promoting physical activity may contribute to improving adolescent mental health and well-being in educational settings.