SEARCHCOHORTpediatrics, psychiatry

cohort·pediatrics, psychiatry, public health, epidemiology, observational study·PMC10600462

Middle school cycling program is associated with improved mental health and wellbeing in adolescents during COVID-19

Frontiers in Sports and Active Living · 9 authors, 4 centres

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TL;DR

A pre/post program evaluation assessed psychosocial well-being in 1,148 middle school students before and after a 6–8 week cycling education program during COVID-19. Students showed significant improvements in WHO-5 and PSC-17-Y scores, though effect sizes were small.

Full summary

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Data were collected via anonymous pre- and post-program surveys from participants in the R4F scholastic cycling program across 20 middle schools during January–May 2021. Two validated instruments assessed psychosocial well-being: the WHO-5 Well-Being Index and the PSC-17-Y. Following the program there was a significant increase in WHO-5 composite scores and a significant decrease in PSC-17-Y composite scores, including subscores for externalization, internalization, and attention. Before the program, 26% of students had WHO-5 scores ≤50; after the program, significantly fewer (21%) met this threshold. Positive changes were observed among students who identified as female, non-white, physically active, enrolled in IEP programs, meeting screen time recommendations, and engaged in school programs, though effect sizes were small.

STUDY TYPE

cohort

SPECIALTY

pediatrics

SUMMARISED BY

AI pipeline

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ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10600462

Middle school cycling program is associated with improved mental health and wellbeing in adolescents during COVID-19

Frontiers in Sports and Active Living

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ABSTRACT

Abstract Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health issues among adolescents. Exercise is well-regarded for boosting mental health. Riding for Focus (R4F) is a 6–8 week cycling education program designed to equip middle school adolescents with basic cycling skills and introduce students to lifetime physical activity. A secondary goal of the R4F program is to improve adolescent mental health and psychosocial well-being. This study aimed to quantify the change in adolescent psychosocial well-being associated with the R4F program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Program evaluation also examined associations between participating in the R4F and mental health outcomes in the context of established risk factors, including gender, race, socioeconomic status, involvement in IEP programs, participation in after-school clubs, screen time, hours of sleep, and physical activity levels. Methods Anonymous surveys were collected before and after the program in 20 schools in North America, with psychosocial well-being quantified using WHO-5 and PSC-17-Y. 1,148 middle school students, aged 11–14, completed pre intervention surveys. 815 students also completed post intervention surveys. Results There was a general increase in psychosocial well-being after the R4F program and positive psychosocial well-being changes in students that identified as female, non-white, physically active, part of an IEP program, meeting screentime recommendations, and engaged in school programs, though effect sizes were small. Despite mental health improvements among underrepresented groups, relative risk assessments still indicated that males, white students, those from high socioeconomic status families still had reduced relative risk of developing psychosocial disorders post intervention. Discussion These analyses illustrate the feasibility of cycling as a viable PE elective and the need for further, more robust studies to better assess the positive impacts of the R4F scholastic cycling program on the psychological health and well-being of middle school age children. Keywords: COVID-19, cycling, depression, WHO-5, PSC-17-Y

CITATION EXPORT

Fletcher Dementyev, Brian Fish, Nana Yaa Sakyi Opoku et al.. Middle school cycling program is associated with improved mental health and wellbeing in adolescents during COVID-19. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living. (2023). https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2023.1255514

AUTHORS

9 · 4 CENTRES

Fletcher Dementyev, Brian Fish, Nana Yaa Sakyi Opoku, Lydia Tesfaye, Jason Chan, Larry Ortiz, Susanne B Montgomery, Esther J Walker, Sean M Wilson

1Lawrence D Longo Center for Perinatal Biology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, United States
2Department of Social Work and Social Ecology, Loma Linda University School of Behavioral Health, Loma Linda, CA, United States
3Behavioral Health Institute, Loma Linda University School of Behavioral Health, Loma Linda, CA, United States
4Outride, Morgan Hill, CA, United States