A Longitudinal Study On The Relationship Between Physical Activity And Life Satisfaction Among Primary School Students

Objective: Promoting mental health is an important task in building a healthy China,especially in increasing the detection and intervention efforts for the psychological and behavioral problems of key populations.Currently,the detection rate of severe depression risk among primary school students is still on the rise,and the implementation of prevention and intervention measures for the psychological and behavioral problems of primary school students is urgent.Life satisfaction,an important indicator of mental health,can provide a more comprehensive perspective on the overall well-being of primary school students,not only influencing their academic performance but also enhancing their emotional state and well-being.A healthy lifestyle is an important way to prevent mental illness and improve life satisfaction.Physical activity can help primary school students improve their physical condition,enhance their social skills,increase their confidence,and thereby improve their life satisfaction.Previous studies on the relationship between physical activity and life satisfaction among primary school students have lacked long-term follow-up surveys.This study explores the relationship between physical activity and life satisfaction by tracking the one-year physical activity and life satisfaction status of primary school students in Shanghai and using a cross-lag model,in order to provide reference opinions for further promoting the physical and mental health development of primary school students.Methods: The literature review method was used in this study,and both online and offline sources were consulted,including published papers,comments,news articles,and books from both domestic and international sources.Databases such as Web of Science,Pub Med,ESBCO,CNKI,Wanfang,and VIP were searched for relevant information,which helped to establish the theoretical basis for the study.The research variables were determined as moderate-to-vigorous physical activity(MVPA),muscle strength exercises,and life satisfaction.A questionnaire survey was conducted twice,one year apart,and a total of 391 students(girls: 50.1%)from four primary schools in two districts of Shanghai participated in the study.Statistical methods such as the paired Wilcoxon signed rank test,chi-square test,Spearman correlation analysis,and partial correlation analysis were conducted using SPSS 24.0 software to explore the gender and grade differences and correlations between physical activity and life satisfaction among primary school students.Cross-lagged analysis of longitudinal data from both tests was performed using Mplus 8.3 software to explore the predictive relationship between physical activity and life satisfaction among primary school students.Results: The survey data showed that in the first and second surveys,respectively,154students(39.4%)and 107 students(27.4%)engaged in at least 60 minutes of MVPA for seven days a week.Additionally,254 students(65.0%)and 195 students(49.9%)engaged in muscle strength exercises for at least three days a week,and 310 students(79.3%)and 295 students(75.4%)had a life satisfaction score of at least 8 points.The results of the difference test showed that there was a gender difference in the number of days of MVPA per week(χ~2 = 16.042,p = 0.022)and the number of days of strength exercises per week(χ~2 = 14.945,p = 0.037)in the first survey,and in the life satisfaction score in the second survey(χ~2 = 19.989,p = 0.008).The correlation analysis showed that the number of days of MVPA per week,the number of days of MVPA during weekdays and weekends,and the number of days of muscle strength exercises per week were all positively correlated with the life satisfaction score(p < 0.001).The crosslagged panel model constructed was a saturated model(df = 0,χ~2 = 0),which achieved exact identification.The path coefficients showed that the only variables with significant asynchronous correlations(p < 0.05)were the number of weekdays with MVPA at the first survey and MVPA,weekly muscle strength exercise,and life satisfaction at the second survey.Additionally,there was a significant path coefficient(β = 0.198,p < 0.01)between the number of weekdays with MVPA at the first survey and the life satisfaction score at the second survey,as well as between the life satisfaction score at the first survey and the number of weekdays with MVPA at the second survey(β = 0.090,p < 0.05).Conclusion: The physical activity and life satisfaction of primary school students in Shanghai decreased after 1 year of follow-up.There was a positive relationship between MVPA,MSE and life satisfaction among Shanghai primary school students,and this relationship remained consistent across gender and grade groups.The path coefficients between weekend MVPA,MSE and life satisfaction among Shanghai primary school students were not significant;there was a bivariate predictive relationship between midweek MVPA and life satisfaction.