Associations between organised sports participation, general health, stress, screen‐time and sleep duration in adolescents

AIM: Physical activity patterns in adolescents have been associated with general health. Stress, screen‐time and sleep are other factors associated with physical activity that influence health in adolescents. Physical activity accounts for several health benefits; however, the impact of organised sports participation to achieve the same health benefits are less explored. This study explored the associations of organised sports participation with general health, stress, screen‐time and sleep‐duration in adolescents. METHODS: For this cross‐sectional study, data from 1139 adolescents (age 13–14 years) from 34 schools were analysed. Data were collected during autumn 2019. Data collection consisted of self‐reported questionnaires and standard methods for height and weight measurements. RESULTS: Adolescents with organised sports participation ≥3 times/week were twice as likely to report better general health (OR: 2.11, CI: 1.45–3.07) and lower screen‐time (OR: 1.98, CI: 1.43–2.74). Adolescents with organised sports participation ≥3 times/week were less likely to meet the recommended sleep‐duration on weekdays (OR: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.29–0.65). CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents with frequent organised sports participation had better general health, lower amounts of screen‐time and shorter sleep‐duration on weekdays than those with no participation. Although the causal relationships remain unknown, these results can be relevant when developing strategies promoting physical activity and health in adolescents.