P05-10 Changes in mental health and physical activity patterns before and during the covid-19 pandemic in Swedish adolescents - a longitudinal study

BACKGROUND: The covid-19 pandemic has had a large impact on the daily lives of adolescents, even in Sweden where the restrictions were relatively mild. The aim of this study was to examine if there had been a change in mental health outcomes and if these changes were related to changes in physical activity patterns before and during the pandemic. METHODS: In this longitudinal study, data were collected in the autumn 2019 and in follow-up measurements in the spring 2021. Physical activity and sedentary time were measured for seven consecutive days by accelerometry (Actigraph). The mental health outcomes, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychosomatic health were measured with questionnaires (KIDSCREEN-10 and PSP). ANCOVA analyses were applied to estimate the associations between change in physical activity patterns and mental health outcomes. RESULTS: In total, 585 boys (45%) and girls (55%), aged 13-14 years (baseline) from 34 schools around Stockholm, were included in the study. Between 2019-2021 there was a decrease in HRQoL (p > 0.001) and increase in psychosomatic problems (p > 0.001) among both boys and girls. There was a significant positive relationship between change in MVPA and change in HRQoL (β = 0.02, CI: 0.00, 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has impaired the mental health of Swedish adolescents but increased physical activity was related to positive changes in the mental health outcome HRQoL. Funding: The Public Health Authority and Skandia