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Background: Four out of five adolescents worldwide are physically inactive based on recommended standards. Aim: We determined whether physical activity is associated with lower behavioural challenges in adolescents to promote buy-in from stakeholders. Setting: KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa, from January 2020 to March 2020. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 187 adolescent learners (12-18 years) from three government schools in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, from January to March 2020. We fitted linear regression models between the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire scores (total, internalising, externalising, and prosocial) and hours of physical activity exposure, adjusting for demographic covariates, and depression history. Results: The median age was 14.4 years (interquartile range = 1.36) and 75.9% of the participants were females. Overall average and weekday physical activity were each associated with lower total and externalising but higher pro-social scores. Depression was associated with higher inactivity scores (total, internalising and externalising). Conclusions: The article shows that physical activity can reduce the behavioural and emotional problems in adolescents. Contribution: Physical activity is critical for a healthy adolescent hood and needs to be actively included in childhood development.
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ABSTRACT: The rise in use of digital technology among adolescents is unquestionable, with few studies having explored the effect of screen time on mental or behavior challenges in sub-Saharan Africa. We investigated the extent of screen time and its associations with mental/behavior challenges in South Africa. A multisite study was conducted among adolescents aged 15 to 17 years from three government schools in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Measures included depressive symptoms (using Patient Health Questionnaire-9), behavioral problems (using Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), and screen time (using Children's Leisure Activities Study Survey). The prevalence of severe depressive symptoms, conduct features, and negative prosocial behavior was 11.2% (n = 20), 13.6% (n = 25), and 4.9% (n = 9), respectively. The mean screen time was 2.1 h/d (SD = 2.4) during weekday and 4.7 h/d (SD = 5.5) during weekend. Weekend screen time was significantly associated with a greater likelihood of severe depression and conduct challenges, based on multivariable regression. We also found that greater weekend cell phone use was significantly associated with lower prosocial behavior. No role of weekday screen time was detected in this study. Parents or legal guardians need to be aware of their children's weekend screen time, including cell phones, as access to digital devices becomes more ubiquitous in resource-limited settings.