Brief report: Longitudinal associations between physical activity, sleep disturbance and depressive symptoms in adolescent girls.

INTRODUCTION: Physical activity (PA) and sleep disturbances (SD) are related with depressive symptoms in adults. However, evidence that PA and SD are prospectively associated with depression is mixed. The aim of this study was to examine longitudinal and bidirectional associations between PA, SD and depressive symptoms in adolescent girls. METHODS: A 2-year longitudinal study was conducted consisting of three waves, each separated by 1 year. The participants were 173 Estonian adolescent girls aged 14.3 ±â€¯0.4 years (M±SD) who individually completed self-report measures of PA, SD and depressive symptoms. RESULTS: Latent growth modelling indicated that the increase in depressive symptoms was associated with an increase in SD and a decrease in PA. Baseline levels of depressive symptoms were predictive of changes in PA and SD, but not the other way around. Moreover, initial SD predicted decrease in PA. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of depressive symptoms at baseline were associated with lower PA and higher SD after two years but not vice versa in adolescent girls.

Longitudinal Associations Between Sedentary Behavior and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescent Girls Followed 6 Years.

BACKGROUND: To examine longitudinal associations between sedentary behavior and depressive symptoms among adolescent girls. METHODS: A 6-year longitudinal study was conducted consisting of 3 waves, each separated by 3 years. Participants' (n = 249, mean age 12.1 y at baseline) sedentary behaviors were registered using ecological momentary assessment and girls completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale. Structural equation modeling of cross-lagged panel models was used to test longitudinal and bidirectional associations. RESULTS: The findings showed that the autoregressive effects were stable for sedentary behavior and depressive symptoms. The cross-lagged effects indicated that the depressive symptoms positively predicted sedentary behavior from early to late adolescence. However, sedentary behavior did not predict depressive symptoms across adolescence. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows 1-directional long-term effect of depressive symptoms on sedentary behavior in adolescent girls. Future research on longitudinal relationships between sedentary behavior and depressive symptoms among children and adolescents are needed.

Complex Yearlong Associations Between Mental Toughness and Sport-Specific Practice Among Adolescent Estonian Volleyball Players.

This study tested the reciprocal associations between mental toughness (MT) and sport-specific practice (SSP) among 163 adolescent Estonian volleyball players who completed self-reported measures of MT and SSP within a 2-year, three-wave longitudinal research design. Higher MT was associated with higher SSP hours at baseline, and changes in MT and SSP were also significantly interrelated across data from both males and females. These findings have implications for the importance of SSP to increase MT, though future research should replicate this study with other participant samples.

Perfectionistic Strivings, Motivation and Engagement in Sport-Specific Activities Among Adolescent Team Athletes.

The present study sought to extend existing literature by examining the longitudinal relationships between perfectionistic strivings, autonomous motivation, and engagement in sport-specific activities among youth athletes in three team sports. Participants were 172 team sports athletes (mean age = 15.2 years, SD = 0.5; males = 94, females = 78) who completed measures of perfectionistic strivings and autonomous motivation at the start and end of a competitive season. Players also completed a training diary during the season. Cross-lagged path analysis, found a reciprocal and positive relationship between autonomous motivation and engagement in sport-specific activities. In addition, higher perfectionistic strivings at the start of a competitive season were positively associated with engagement in sport-specific activities at the end of season and not the reverse. Autonomous motivation mediated this relationship between perfectionistic strivings and sport-specific activities engagement. Thus, this study supports the reciprocal association between motivation and engagement in sport-specific activities and unidirectional relations between perfectionistic strivings and sport-specific activities engagement among youth team sports athletes.