title: Body esteem is a mediator of the association between physical activity and depression in Korean adolescents.
abstract: This study examined whether body-esteem would mediate the association between physical activity and depression in adolescents.
  
  
  
  A total of 848 Korean high school students aged 15 to 18years completed a questionnaire on body-esteem, physical activity recall, and depression. Path analysis was used to test mediating effects of body-esteem on the association between physical activity and depression.
  
  
  
  Girls showed a significantly higher level of depressive symptoms than boys. Boys showed significantly higher levels of physical activity and body-esteem than girls. Body-esteem mediated the relation of physical activity with depression.
  
  
  
  Physical activity might reduce the risk of depression in addition to supporting body-esteem in adolescents. Interventions that reinforce healthy body-esteem and encourage physical activity would help prevent depression in adolescents. Future studies should examine the effects of programs addressing physical activity and body-esteem among adolescents with depressive symptoms.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, The Research Institute of Nursing Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sun-Mi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Chae
authors.affiliation: Red Cross College of Nursing, Chung-Ang University, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hee Sun
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, South Korea. Electronic address: jinsukra@cnu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jin Suk
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ra
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001828:Body Image; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012649:Self Concept
keywords: Adolescents; Body-esteem; Depression; Physical activity