Interest in healthy active living behaviors has risen in recent years (Tremblay, 2020) with research illustrating how movement behaviors (i.e., physical activity, screentime, sleep time) are intricately related to health (Chaput et al., 2020). Although studies have examined the outcomes of varying combinations of movement behaviors (e.g., Sampasa-Kanyinga, Colman, et al., 2021), few have focused specifically on positive mental health (Brown et al., 2021) as researchers have mainly looked at how poor movement behaviors can increase psychological problems (e.g., Pearson et al., 2019; Sampasa-Kanyinga, Chaput, et al., 2020; Zhu et al., 2019). Further research is needed to examine how meeting suggested guidelines can contribute to positive mental health.
Adolescence, as a life stage, encompasses critical developmental components such as identity formation and the assimilation of behavioral patterns that have the potential to impact mental health positively or negatively (Beauchamp et al., 2018; Nelson et al., 2018). Adolescence is marked by rapid growth and significant changes, with adherence to movement behavior guidelines playing a pivotal role in enhancing overall development and well-being. Previous research has demonstrated how during adolescence, engaging in physical activity has been linked to decreases in anxiety and depression symptoms as well as increases in body image, self-esteem, and overall quality of life (Pascoe et al., 2020). Beyond physical activity, other indicators must be taken into consideration, such as sedentary time and sleep time (Viner et al., 2012). Sedentary time comprises a variety of stationary activities (e.g., watching television, working at a computer, playing video games; LeBlanc et al., 2015) associated with adolescents’ worsened health indicators (Saunders et al., 2014). Moreover, inadequate sleep time, defined as adolescents obtaining fewer than six hours of sleep per night, has been associated with adverse impacts on cognitive and physical performance (Roberts et al., 2009). Such studies illustrate the importance of promoting a combination of healthy behaviors (or movement behaviors) to optimise adolescent functioning, which include physical activity, limited sedentary time, and adequate sleep. The interplay of movement behaviors during adolescence not only shapes immediate health outcomes but also lays the foundation for well-being in adulthood.
The World Health Organization (WHO, 2019) was the first to offer guidance on physical activity and sedentary behaviors, indicating that children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 17 years should engage in a minimum of 60 minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity combined with very limited sedentary time to attain optimal health benefits. From these initial recommendations, the 24-Hour Movement Behavior Guidelines (i.e., 24-HMBG) were issued in 2016 in Canada for Children and Youth (aged 5 to 17 years; Tremblay et al., 2016), followed by guidelines for the Early Years (aged 0–4 years) in 2017 (Tremblay et al., 2017). Numerous other countries have also adopted 24-HMBG, including Australia (Okely et al., 2017), New Zealand (Ministry of Health, 2017), and South Africa (Draper et al., 2020). The main purpose of these guidelines lies in emphasizing the importance of considering movement behaviors in combination throughout the entire day in the pursuit of enhanced health outcomes and well-being (Tremblay, 2020). In Canada, the 24-HMBG for adolescents include: (a) physical activity (i.e., moderate-to-vigorous for at least 60 minutes per day); (b) sedentary time (i.e., limiting recreational screentime to no more than 2 hours per day); and (c) sleep time (i.e., uninterrupted 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night).
For adolescents, empirical research (e.g., Carson et al., 2017) and systematic reviews (e.g., Feng et al., 2021) on the 24-HMBG indicate how meeting at least one guideline is positively linked to improved weight status, dietary habits, fitness, cardiometabolic health, and mental health. However, it has been proposed that attainment of multiple guidelines is associated with even greater health outcomes (e.g., Sampasa-Kanyinga et al., 2020). From this perspective, a holistic approach to movement behaviors that meets all three 24-HMBG has prompted research in several countries examining the proportions of adolescents who meet these guidelines (Knell et al., 2019; Roman-Vinas et al., 2016). Overall, this body of research has shown how very few adolescents meet all three 24-HMBG (Tapia-Serrano et al., 2022). For instance, a cross-sectional study by Zhu et al. (2020) used data from the 2016–2017 National Survey of Children’s Health in the United States of America, showing how just 9.4% of youth aged 10–17 years met all three 24-HMBG and that 9.1% of youth met none of the three behavior guidelines. Meeting zero guidelines was associated with the greatest likelihood of being overweight (Zhu et al., 2020). Similarly, adherence to the 24-HMBG was recently reported to be alarmingly low among adolescents in Hong Kong (Shi et al., 2021), where only 1.0% of 692 adolescents aged 11–17 years met all three guidelines. Meeting the physical activity guideline, or the combination of physical activity and sleep, was associated with a healthier bodyweight in boys. The small percentage of adolescents meeting the 24-HMBG (Berglind et al., 2018; Roman-Vinas et al., 2016) highlights the need for more research in this area.
Given that the existing literature has mainly focused on the negative effects of poor adherence to the 24-HMBG, more studies are needed to better understand the positive health outcomes of adolescents who do meet the 24-HMBG. From a mental health perspective, looking at the positives is essential given that mental health goes beyond the mere absence of negative symptoms. Therefore, assessments of mental health that aim to capture the presence of positive attributes are warranted (Keyes, 2002). Adolescence can be a stressful period given the impending shift into emerging adulthood and the increased responsibilities that accompany this shift (Blakemore, 2008). From a research perspective, it becomes crucial to gain a better understanding if/how the daily movement behaviors that adolescents undertake benefit their positive mental health. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to explore high school student-athletes’ 24-hour movement behaviors and their impact on positive mental health. Specifically, the aim was to draw a portrait of student-athletes’ behaviors in relation to the 24-HMBG and to assess the association between daily movement behaviors and positive mental health. The study was conducted with a sample of high school student-athletes. The high school sport context was chosen because it provides opportunities for participants to meet the physical activity guidelines and thus have increased chances of experiencing positive mental health (e.g., Brunet et al., 2013; Jewett et al., 2014). High school sport affords student-athletes’ activities of moderate-to-vigorous levels of physical activity (e.g., Hollis et al., 2017), providing a suitable setting to examine the relationships between movement behaviors and positive mental health.
Framework and Hypotheses
In the present study, the Canadian 24-HMBG served as a practical and evidence-based set of recommendations that guided the research. The 24-HMBG were used to categorize and assess participants’ movement behaviors and their potential effects on positive mental health. We hypothesized that (a) a small proportion of the student-athletes in our sample would meet the 24-HMBG and (b) behaviors that align with each guideline (i.e., physical activity, screentime, and sleep time) would positively and significantly contribute to adolescents’ positive mental health.