Special Issues

Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents

Submission Deadline: 01 March 2025 View: 401 Submit to Special Issue

Guest Editors

Muros José Joaquín, Department of Didactics of Corporal Expression, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain

Villodres Gracia Cristina, Department of Didactics of Corporal Expression, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain


Summary

Any early stage before adulthood is key for the acquisition of behaviours that are likely to endure into adulthood. It is therefore not surprising that engagement in healthy eating, an active lifestyle, and spending fewer hours in front of the screen are some of the most important habits to be acquired by children for them to develop into healthy adults. Healthy eating habits and an active lifestyle have been demonstrated to have a positive influence on preventing chronic diseases and improving mental health in children and adolescents. On the other hand, the academic world has been scandalized due to the general decline in PISA scores. Academics claim that the increase in hours spent in front of screens and the use of social networks has negatively affected the physical, mental, and cognitive health of children and adolescents. Social networks offer images and messages that promote the thinness ideal in women and the muscularity ideal in men, which has caused this population to worry about their bodies conforming to these idealized and unrealistic physical standards. Consequently, this has led to the inspiration to physical activity engagement and follow diets with a motivation oriented to appearance (rather than health), triggering emotional problems (i.e., body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, and high body shame), cognitive problems (i.e., high body vigilance) and behavioural problems (i.e., unhealthy eating behaviours or eating disorders).


Thus, the goal of this Special Issue in the International Journal of Mental Health Promotion is to increase scientific evidence in the study of healthy lifestyle behaviours and mental health in children and adolescents. We welcome reviews and original research which consider novel approaches and identify gaps in knowledge. We also encourage submissions that explore how following healthy habits can impact physical and mental health during these stages.


Keywords

- Physical activity
- Nutrition
- Screen time
- Academic performance
- Social networks
- Self-esteem
- Body image
- Eating disorders
- Physical health
- Mental health
- Children
- Adolescents
- Youths

Published Papers


  • Open Access

    REVIEW

    Promoting International Students’ Mental Health Unmet Needs: An Integrative Review

    Carmen Hei Man Shek, Sally Wai Chi Chan, Michelle Anne Stubbs, Regina Lai Tong Lee
    International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2024.055706
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents)
    Abstract Background: There are increasing concerns about the mental health needs of international students. Previous studies report that international students experience additional challenges and higher levels of stress compared to domestic students. This integrative review aimed to identify perceived stressors, coping strategies and factors that contributed to accessing mental health services of international students. Methods: A systematic search was performed between January 2010 and December 2023 using PubMed, CINAHL, ProQuest, the Cochrane Library, Scopus and PsycINFO databases. A manual search was also performed that included reference lists of included articles; data was extracted and reviewed by… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Construction and Validation of a Chinese Translation of the Coping Self-Efficacy Scale, Adolescent Edition

    Peichao Xie, Kexu Chen, Yuxuan Ji, Qi Wang, Kaiyun Li, Fanlu Jia, Ting Peng
    International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2024.056305
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents)
    Abstract Background: Coping self-efficacy can help individuals mitigate the adverse emotional impacts of stress, anxiety, and other negative emotions, and it also influences individuals’ academic performance, including school adjustment and academic burnout. It is an important factor affecting the mental health of adolescents. However, there is no measurement tool specifically designed for adolescent populations in China. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess the applicability of the Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES) among Chinese adolescents. Methods: In September 2023, this study collected data through online questionnaires and ultimately conducted item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    The Risk Role of Defeat on the Mental Health of College Students: A Moderated Mediation Effect of Academic Stress and Interpersonal Relationships

    Ruiyang Han, Tingting Xu, Yin Shi, Wuyi Liu
    International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.26, No.9, pp. 731-744, 2024, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2024.054884
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents)
    Abstract Background: College students face significant academic and physiological changes, making them more susceptible to psychological issues such as depression, self-injury, and suicidal ideation. Feelings of defeat can exacerbate these risks by increasing academic stress. However, interpersonal relationships can moderate the impact of academic stress on students’ mental health. Utilizing the presage–process–product model, this study aims to empirically investigate how feelings of defeat influence depression, self-injury, and suicidal ideation among college students. Additionally, it explores the mediating role of academic stress and the moderating role of various types of interpersonal relationships. Methods: A total of 1612… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    The Relationship between Parental Stress and Child Conformity: The Mediating Role of Resilience

    Houyan Li, Guandong Song, Bin Xiao
    International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.26, No.9, pp. 767-776, 2024, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2024.054545
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents)
    Abstract Background: In today’s society, parental stress has become a prevalent and significant issue, impacting not only parents’ mental health but also potentially profoundly affecting children’s growth and education. This topic has garnered continuous attention from scholars. The present study aims to delve into the relationship between parental stress and children’s behavior, particularly focusing on children’s conformity and discipline development during crucial stages. This study aims to explore the relationship between parental stress, child conformity, and resilience, and further examines the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between parental stress and child conformity. Methods: We… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Linking 24-h Movement Behavior Guidelines to Cognitive Difficulties, Internalizing and Externalizing Problems in Preterm Youth

    Zhihui Cheng, Ailikute Aikeremu, Yanping Gao, Zhihao Zhang, Anthony G. Delli Paoli, Paolo Marcello Cunha, Alyx Taylor, Fabian Herold, Liye Zou
    International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.26, No.8, pp. 651-662, 2024, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2024.055351
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents)
    Abstract Background: Given the heightened risk of developmental challenges associated with preterm birth, it is crucial to explore interventions that may ameliorate potential adverse outcomes. This study aimed to examine whether meeting the 24-h movement behavior (24-HMB) guidelines, which include recommendations on physical activity (PA), screen time (ST), and sleep (SL), is related to indicators of cognitive difficulties, internalizing problems (e.g., depression and anxiety), and externalizing problems (e.g., difficulties in making friends and arguing) in a sample of preterm youth (children and adolescents born preterm). Method: In this cross-sectional study, data from 3410 preterm youth (aged… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Construction and Validity of Chinese Translation of the Universal Mental Health Literacy Scale for Adolescents

    Qi Wang, Qi Wang, Yuxuan Ji, Kexu Chen, Kaiyun Li, Fanlu Jia, Ting Peng
    International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.26, No.8, pp. 671-677, 2024, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2024.053127
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents)
    Abstract Background: In this study, the Universal Mental Health Literacy Scale for Adolescents (UMHL-A) was revised and tested for its reliability and validity in Chinese middle school students, thus establishing a useful tool for assessing the mental health of individuals in this occupation. Methods: Our sample comprised 1208 junior high school students (58.85% male), aged between 11 and 15 years old. The Chinese version of the scale includes a mental health attitude subscale and mental health knowledge subscale, including attitudes towards seeking help, attitudes related to stigma, general mental health knowledge, and knowledge about specific mental… More >

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