Background
Self-harm is a pressing public health issue, particularly among adolescents. Physical activity is associated with reduced self-harm among youths, but evidence is limited. Most studies rely on self-reported measures and are primarily focused on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), often overlooking the role of light-intensity physical activity (LIPA). To address these gaps, we investigated the prospective associations between accelerometer-measured 24-hr movements and subsequent self-harm in adolescents.
Methods
This prospective cohort investigation analysed 2,016 children from the UK Millennium Cohort Study using data from the age 7 years survey (MCS4) when accelerometers were introduced (mean age = 7.23 years, SD = 0.25). Accelerometer-measured duration of MVPA, LIPA, sedentary behaviour (SB), and sleep were analysed. Self-harm behaviours were assessed via validated self-report questionnaires at ages 14 and 17 years, and subsequently, the associations examined using logistic and compositional data models.
Results
Among 2,016 participants (48.6% female), 548 self-harm cases occurred during 18,696 person-years of follow-up, with a median follow-up duration of 8.5 years (cumulative incidence = 27.2%). LIPA was inversely associated with self-harm (OR 0.76, 95% CI: 0.65–0.88). This association was stronger in compositional models (OR 0.23, 95% CI: 0.11–0.47). MVPA showed a significant non-linear, inverted U-shaped association with self-harm (p for non-linearity = .02). The risk peaked at approximately 1.2 hr/day and decreased substantially at levels exceeding 1.7 hr/day, while SB and sleep were not significantly associated with self-harm. Stratified analyses confirmed robustness.
Conclusions
Our findings reveal a pronounced inverse association between LIPA and self-harm, along with a non-linear association for MVPA. These results support 24-hr movement guidelines that emphasise activity transitions over isolated targets and highlight LIPA’s role in early prevention strategies.