Childhood Lifestyle Behaviors and… | 2025

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60/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 60 out of 100. Prevention and risk

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

Altogether, 187 adolescents (97 boys [51.9%]; mean age, 15.8 [0.4] years) had valid data on self-reported lifestyle behaviors, and 170 adolescents had valid data on device-assessed lifestyle behaviors. Perceived stress scores ranged from 2 to 33 and depressive symptoms scores from 0 to 31. Self-reported total PA and supervised exercise were inversely associated with perceived stress (standardized regression coefficient [β] = -0.15; 95% CI, -0.31 to -0.01 and β = -0.15; 95% CI, -0.29 to -0.01, respectively) and depressive symptoms (β = -0.17; 95% CI, -0.31 to -0.02 and β = -0.14; 95% CI, -0.29 to -0.0, respectively). Total ST (β = 0.27; 95% CI, 0.13 to 0.41), computer use (β = 0.16; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.30), and mobile device use (β = 0.28; 95% CI, 0.16 to 0.41) were positively associated with perceived stress. Total ST (β = 0.30; 95% CI, 0.15 to 0.44) and mobile device use (β = 0.33; 95% CI, 0.19 to 0.46) were positively associated with depressive symptoms. Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study of Finnish children and adolescents found that higher PA and lower ST from childhood were associated with perceived stress and depressive symptoms in adolescence. These findings emphasize reducing screen time and increasing PA to promote mental health in youth.

Key findings

Altogether, 187 adolescents (97 boys [51.9%]; mean age, 15.8 [0.4] years) had valid data on self-reported lifestyle behaviors, and 170 adolescents had valid data on device-assessed lifestyle behaviors.
Perceived stress scores ranged from 2 to 33 and depressive symptoms scores from 0 to 31.
Self-reported total PA and supervised exercise were inversely associated with perceived stress (standardized regression coefficient [β] = -0.15; 95% CI, -0.31 to -0.01 and β = -0.15; 95% CI, -0.29 to -0.01, respectively) and depressive symptoms (β = -0.17; 95% CI, -0.31 to -0.02 and β = -0.14; 95% CI, -0.29 to -0.0, respectively).
Total ST (β = 0.27; 95% CI, 0.13 to 0.41), computer use (β = 0.16; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.30), and mobile device use (β = 0.28; 95% CI, 0.16 to 0.41) were positively associated with perceived stress.
Total ST (β = 0.30; 95% CI, 0.15 to 0.44) and mobile device use (β = 0.33; 95% CI, 0.19 to 0.46) were positively associated with depressive symptoms.

Why it matters

This cohort study found that higher physical activity and lower screen time in childhood were associated with lower perceived stress and depressive symptoms in adolescence. It does not study Alzheimer's disease.

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Study details

Study designcohort study
Effect size51.9%
Evidence strengthModerate

How this study scored 60/100

Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a cohort study following people over time. Scored zero for sample size, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	9 / 10	Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (JAMA Network Open)
Journal's citation record	2 / 4	JAMA Network Open: journal h-index 235 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	7 / 12	A cohort study following people over time
Strength of evidence	3 / 5	Rated “moderate” in our summary
Peer-review validation	10 / 10	Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal.
How recent	4 / 5	2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	0 / 4	Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Effect reported	2 / 3	Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test
Studied in people	0 / 3	Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Randomised / blinded	0 / 2	No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	3 / 7	Cited 29 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	3 / 5	9.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025
Impact for its field and year	4 / 6	Cited 15.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	0 / 6	No other study in this library cites it
Still being cited	2 / 4	Cited 29 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	4 / 4	Last-listed author Timo Antero Lakka: h-index 106 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	1 / 3	University of Helsinki: institution h-index 1,201 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	2 / 3	OpenAlex lists 7 institution(s) in 2 countries
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 39951263)
Free to read	2 / 2	Free to read
Total	60 / 100	—

What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →

Read the original

Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).

Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.

APA 7th

Haapala, E. A., Leppänen, M. H., Kosola, S. K., Appelqvist‐Schmidlechner, K., Kraav, S., Jussila, J. J., et al. (2025). Childhood Lifestyle Behaviors and Mental Health Symptoms in Adolescence. JAMA Network Open. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.60012

Vancouver

Haapala EA, Leppänen MH, Kosola SK, Appelqvist‐Schmidlechner K, Kraav S, Jussila JJ, et al. Childhood Lifestyle Behaviors and Mental Health Symptoms in Adolescence. JAMA Network Open. 2025. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.60012. PMID: 39951263.

BibTeX

@article{haapala2025-39951263,
  author  = {Haapala, Eero A. and Leppänen, Marja H. and Kosola, Silja K. and Appelqvist‐Schmidlechner, Kaija and Kraav, Siiri‐Liisi and Jussila, Juuso J and Tolmunen, Tommi and Lubans, David Revalds and others},
  title   = {{Childhood Lifestyle Behaviors and Mental Health Symptoms in Adolescence}},
  journal = {JAMA Network Open},
  year    = {2025},
  doi     = {10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.60012},
  pmid    = {39951263},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.60012}
}

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