BAYESIAN NETWORK TO ANALYZE THE IMPACT OF SPORTS ACTIVITIES ON ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH

Abstract

With the development of society and the increasing pressure of competition, the mental health (MH) issues of adolescents are receiving increasing attention. Traditional research typically employs univariate analysis methods, focusing on a specific indicator of physical activity or MH, but lacks comprehensive analysis of the complex relationships between variables. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between physical activity (frequency, type, duration, intensity) and adolescent MH (anxiety, depression, self-esteem), and to consider the moderating effects of social support, family environment, and academic stress, in order to provide scientific basis for the development of relevant intervention measures. Data was collected from 600 adolescents aged 12 to 18 through a questionnaire survey. The sample covers different ages, genders, and socio-economic backgrounds, involving public schools, private schools, and community education institutions. Standardized scales such as SAS (self-rating anxiety scale), SDS (self-rating depression scale), and RSES (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale) can be used to assess MH, construct a Bayesian Network (BN) model, learn structure and parameters, and evaluate model performance using 10-fold cross-validation. BN, as a graphical model, systematically represents the complex relationships between sports activities, MH, and other related variables by constructing directed acyclic graphs, capturing nonlinear relationships and interactive effects. Research has found that moderate intensity team exercise five times a week improves the MH of adolescents, reduces anxiety and depression levels, and increases self-esteem. Teenagers who engage in physical activities five times a week have a 0.7% probability of experiencing normal anxiety, while those who participate in team sports have a 0.75% probability of experiencing normal anxiety. During 40 minutes of physical activity and moderate intensity physical activity, adolescents have a 0.75% chance of being within the normal range of anxiety. Social support and family environment have a significant regulatory effect on MH. Adolescents with excellent family environment and high social support have better MH status, while those with high academic pressure have lower levels of MH. This article uses BN to reveal the impact of sports activities on the MH of adolescents, providing specific guidance for schools, families, and communities in promoting adolescent MH, which can provide more scientific guidance for adolescent MH interventions.