ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SOCIAL ANXIETY IN ADOLESCENTS
Motor activity; Social phobia; Adolescence.
Social anxiety disorder is detrimental to adolescent development, but an active lifestyle can be beneficial in preventing this disorder. However, findings on the association between physical activity and social anxiety have not yet been elucidated. Therefore, the present study aims to analyze whether the level of physical activity is associated with a high level of social anxiety in adolescents. The data were obtained through a survey carried out in 2022, using an adapted version of the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS). The low level of physical activity (<420min/week) and the high level of social anxiety (≥ 67.6 points) were the independent and dependent variables, respectively. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the association between a low level of physical activity and a high level of social anxiety. The sample consisted of 4,336 adolescents and the prevalence of a high level of social anxiety was identified in 12.3% of the sample. In relation to gender, girls (16.5%) had a higher prevalence of high levels of social anxiety than boys (7.2%). Adolescents with a low level of physical activity were more likely [OR 1.61 (95%CI 1.29-2.06)] to have a high level of social anxiety. It is concluded that there was a moderate positive association between a low level of physical activity and a high level of social anxiety in adolescents.