A longitudinal study on the association between the change in children’s activity participation and later mental health

Introduction: Participation, particularly in physical activities and sports, is beneficial to children’s mental health. However, little is known about to what extent children’s participation in other types of activities, as that changed with age, is associated with their mental health at a later time.

Objectives: To investigate the association between children’s earlier participation in home, school, and community activities (and the change over time) and their mental health after two years.

Method: Two hundred and forty-two school-aged children were recruited in Hong Kong. Their parents completed the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth during 2017-2018. After two years (during 2019-2020), the parents completed the same questionnaire again plus the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Hierarchical multiple regression models were used to examine the longitudinal relationship between children’s activity participation and mental health after controlling for the covariates which might influence mental health.

Results: Results revealed that frequency of earlier participation in home activities was negatively and significantly correlated with later internalizing problems. The change in children’s involvement (not frequency) in home and school activities was also associated with their later internalizing and/or externalizing problems. While children significantly decreased their participation in community activities over the two years, the change was not related linearly to their later mental health.

Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of children’s involvement during participating in home, school, and community activities on their mental health, and may inform activity-based interventions that promote children’s mental health.