A person-centred analysis of the time-use, daily activities and health-related quality of life of Irish school-going late adolescents

Hunt, Eithne; McKay, Elizabeth A.; Dahly, Darren L.; Fitzgerald, Anthony P.; Perry, Ivan J.

Abstract

Purpose: The health, well-being and quality of life of the world’s 1.2 billion adolescents are global priorities. A focus on their patterns or profiles of time-use and how these relate to health-related quality of life (HRQoL) may help to enhance their well-being and address the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases in adulthood. This study sought to establish whether distinct profiles of adolescent 24-h time-use exist and to examine the relationship of any identified profiles to self-reported HRQoL.

Method: This cross-sectional study gathered data from a random sample of 731 adolescents (response rate 52 %) from 28 schools (response rate 76 %) across Cork city and county. A person-centred approach, latent profile analysis, was used to examine adolescent 24-h time-use and relate the identified profiles to HRQoL.

Results: Three male profiles emerged, namely productive, high leisure and all-rounder. Two female profiles, higher study/lower leisure and moderate study/higher leisure, were identified. The quantitative and qualitative differences in male and female profiles support the gendered nature of adolescent time-use. No unifying trends emerged in the analysis of probable responses in the HRQoL domains across profiles. Females in the moderate study/higher leisure group were twice as likely to have above-average global HRQoL.

Conclusion: Distinct time-use profiles can be identified amongst adolescents, but their relationship with HRQoL is complex. Rich mixed-method research is required to illuminate our understanding of how quantities and qualities of time-use shape lifestyle patterns and how these can enhance the HRQoL of adolescents in the twenty-first century.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Nov 15, 2014
• Publication Date: 2015-06
• Deposit Date: Mar 6, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 9, 2018
• Journal: Quality of Life Research
• Print ISSN: 0962-9343
• Electronic ISSN: 1573-2649
• Publisher: BMC
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 24
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 1303-1315
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-014-0863-9
• Keywords: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health,
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/1051022
• Contract Date: Mar 9, 2018