This nationwide cohort study, encompassing 1.9 million participants in Taiwan, revealed that children and adolescents in better-performing fitness quantiles exhibited lower cumulative incidences of anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Notably, enhanced cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular endurance, and muscular power were independently associated with reduced mental disorder incidences in this demographic, even after accounting for confounding factors.
Meaning These findings suggest the potential of cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness as protective factors in mitigating the onset of mental disorders among children and adolescents.
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