Association between mental well-being, body composition, and physical activity among adolescents in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

BACKGROUND

Adolescence is a critical developmental period during which health behaviours are established and may influence physical and mental well-being across the life course. However, evidence on the associations between body composition, physical activity, and mental well-being among South African adolescents remains limited.

AIM: The study aimed to determine the association between mental well-being, body composition, and physical activity among adolescents in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

METHOD: Adolescents (n = 266, mean age = 15 years, SD = 1.238 years; female = 58.27%) from two districts in the Eastern Cape were randomly selected to participate in this quantitative cross-sectional study. We collected data through anthropometric measurements, bioelectrical impedance analysis, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and the Mental Health Continuum Short Form. Data were analysed using SPSS version 28. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between metabolic risk and mental well-being, as well as to assess the extent to which body composition components and physical activity predict mental well-being.

RESULTS

Most participants (65.4%) fell in the normal body mass index (BMI) category. An average of 502.70 minutes (SD = 574.20 minutes) per week of physical activity was displayed by the total sample. Body fat percentage emerged as the only statistically significant predictor of mental well-being.

CONCLUSIONS

Although most adolescents exceeded the recommended 300 minutes of physical activity per week, neither physical activity nor BMI predicted mental well-being. Instead, body fat percentage was the only significant predictor, indicating that higher body fat was associated with poorer mental well-being. These findings suggest that body composition, rather than overall physical activity levels or BMI alone, plays a critical role in adolescent mental well-being.