BACKGROUND Physical activity (PA) can promote mental health, but the mechanisms underpinning this association are not well-established. This study examined if perceptions of three basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, relatedness) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) mediate the association between number of years participating in PA and mental health in adolescence. METHODS Participants included 937 children (55% female) age 10-11 at inception of the longitudinal MATCH study, who provided data every 4 months over 6 years. Mediation analyses were used to assess the natural direct effect of number of years of PA participation (cycles 1-15) during late childhood and adolescence on later mental health (cycle 16), measured with the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF), and the natural indirect effect through each of self-perceived autonomy, competence and relatedness, and self-report MVPA (cycle 15). RESULTS In single mediator models, indirect effects of autonomy, competence, relatedness and self-report MVPA were statistically significant. In joint mediation models (each of three models including one basic psychological need and MVPA), autonomy, competence and relatedness mediated 71, 27, and 51% of the association respectively; MVPA mediated 27-31% of the association. In the mediation model including all four mediators, relatedness mediated the largest proportion of the association, followed by autonomy and MVPA. CONCLUSION Results support developing strategies to encourage adolescents to engage and remain involved in PA. This could foster perceptions of autonomy, competence, and relatedness as well as MVPA, which in turn may enhance mental health.

中文翻译：

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青春期体育锻炼与心理健康之间关联的机制：一项为期6年的研究。

背景技术体育活动（PA）可以促进心理健康，但是建立这种关联的机制尚不完善。这项研究检验了对三种基本心理需求（自主性，能力，亲和力）和中度至剧烈运动量（MVPA）的理解是否能介导参与PA的年数与青春期心理健康之间的关系。方法参加者包括937名年龄在11至11岁的儿童（纵向女性，年龄5-11岁），参加了纵向MATCH研究，他们在6年中每4个月提供一次数据。中介分析用于评估儿童晚期和青春期参与PA的年数（周期1-15）对后期心理健康（周期16）的自然直接影响，采用心理健康连续体-简表（MHC-SF）进行测量），以及通过自我感知的自主权，能力和相关性以及自我报告MVPA产生的自然间接影响（周期15）。结果在单一调解人模型中，自主权，能力，亲和力和自我报告MVPA的间接影响具有统计学意义。在联合调解模型（包括一个基本的心理需求和MVPA的三个模型中的每个模型）中，自治，能力和亲和力分别介导了协会的71％，27％和51％；MVPA介导了27-31％的关联。在包括所有四个调解员的调解模型中，关联性调解了最大比例的关联，其次是自治和MVPA。结论结果支持制定策略来鼓励青少年参与并继续参与PA。这样可以培养人们对自主性，能力和相关性以及MVPA的认识，