Conference Agenda

Background

Physical activity is associated with improved mental wellbeing in children, but less is known about how social and environmental conditions shape this relationship. This study examined whether health-creating conditions influence the association between physical activity and children’s happiness.

Methods

Survey data were collected from children participating in the BTS programme across five UK communities. Baseline data were available for 5,610 children, with 809 matched baseline–follow-up responses collected approximately six weeks later. Happiness (1–7 scale) was analysed using ordinal mixed-effects models. Physical activity was measured as weekly moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and contextual conditions were captured using the Health Creation Index (HCI), reflecting supportive relationships, opportunities for participation and perceptions of place.

Results

Higher HCI was strongly associated with greater happiness at baseline and showed a stronger relationship with happiness than physical activity alone. Predicted probabilities of high happiness (scores 6–7) were 20 percentage points higher among children with high HCI compared with low HCI. The association between MVPA and happiness was strongest among children with lower HCI, indicating moderation by contextual conditions.

Longitudinal analyses showed that increases in HCI were significantly associated with increases in happiness (β≈0.49, p<0.001), while changes in MVPA alone were not independently associated with happiness change.

Conclusion

Children’s happiness appears strongly linked to health-creating social and environmental conditions. Physical activity may contribute most to wellbeing when it occurs within environments that support safety, belonging and participation.