Association of fitness with life satisfaction, health risk behaviors, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet in Spanish adolescents

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the association between aerobic, musculoskeletal, and motor capacity and life satisfaction, risk behavior, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet in adolescents. A total of 1,988 Spanish adolescents (12–16 years old) participated in this cross-sectional study. Life satisfaction, risk behavior, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet were measured by validated questionnaires for these ages. Aerobic, musculoskeletal muscle, and motor capacity were evaluated objectively with the ALPHA battery tests. Adolescents with low aerobic capacity had a higher risk of showing less (vs. very happy) life satisfaction (odds ratio [OR] = 1.303, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1,054–1,611). These adolescents were also more likely to report risk behaviors such as sometimes (vs. never) of smoking tobacco (OR = 1.752, 95% CI = 1,218–2,520), besides having a low adherence to the Mediterranean diet (vs. high) (OR = 1.410, 95% CI = 1,113–1,786). Adolescents with low upper-body musculoskeletal capacity showed a lower risk of reporting risk behaviors such as alcohol consumption or getting drunk occasionally (vs. never) (OR = 0.662, 95% CI = 520–843; OR = 0.561, 95% CI = 419–753, respectively). The results suggest that the aerobic capacity contributes significantly to greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet, greater life satisfaction, and lower tobacco consumption, whereas musculoskeletal capacity seems to be related to alcohol consumption.