edoc

The association between healthy habits and healthy minds in today’s youth

Darkhawaja, Ranin. The association between healthy habits and healthy minds in today’s youth. 2024, Doctoral Thesis, University of Basel, Associated Institution, Faculty of Medicine.

[img]
Preview
PDF
Available under License CC BY (Attribution).

3490Kb

Official URL: https://edoc.unibas.ch/96357/

Downloads: Statistics Overview

Abstract

The thesis is rooted in Antonovsky’s salutogenesis theory, emphasizing how human experiences are shaped by opportunities, particularly social capital (SC) and self-efficacy (SE), contributing to individuals' sense of coherence. Analyzing health through the World Health Organization’s definition as holistic well-being, this theoretical framework has been applied in Switzerland, a high-income, multicultural nation, and Palestine, a low-income country with a youthful, collective society.
In Switzerland, the thesis assessed the relationship between quality of life (QoL) and accelerometer-derived physical activity (PA) using data from the SOPHYA cohort (2013-2019) of Swiss youth aged 6 to 16. Two main studies examined cross-sectional and prospective associations between PA and QoL.
In Palestine, the thesis planned a study exploring SC, SE, and social contagion's role in students' lifestyle and mental health, with the study protocol published in BMJ Open (Darkhawaja R et al. BMJ Open 2022 Jan 19; 12(1):e049033).
The thesis confirmed a positive association between device-measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and QoL in Swiss youth, especially cross-sectionally. However, it also revealed a simultaneous decline in both PA and QoL with aging, highlighting the importance of age-specific health interventions promoting both PA and QoL.
Recommendations included shorter follow-up times and more longitudinal measurements in future studies to better understand the sustainable benefits of PA promotion on QoL in youth.
Advisors:Probst-Hensch, Nicole
Committee Members:Merten, Sonja and Rohrmann, Sabine and Alkaiyat, Abdulsalam
Faculties and Departments:09 Associated Institutions > Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) > Department of Epidemiology and Public Health (EPH) > Chronic Disease Epidemiology > Exposome Science (Probst-Hensch)
03 Faculty of Medicine > Departement Public Health > Sozial- und Präventivmedizin > Exposome Science (Probst-Hensch)
UniBasel Contributors:Merten, Sonja and Alkaiyat, Abdulsalam
Item Type:Thesis
Thesis Subtype:Doctoral Thesis
Thesis no:15402
Thesis status:Complete
Number of Pages:161
Language:English
Identification Number:
  • urn: urn:nbn:ch:bel-bau-diss154027
edoc DOI:
Last Modified:18 Jul 2024 04:30
Deposited On:17 Jul 2024 10:52

Repository Staff Only: item control page