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AIMS Public Health

2025, Volume 12, Issue 3: 952-969. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2025047
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Research article

Personality functioning in adolescents and its association with health-related quality of life and physical fitness

  • 1.
    Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
  • 2.
    Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Clinics Saarland, 66421 Homburg, Germany
  • 3.
    Institute of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
  • Published: 12 September 2025

  • Adolescence is a crucial developmental phase marked by major physical, cognitive, and psychosocial changes that shape self-perception and relationships, with lasting effects on mental and physical health. Personality functioning, a core concept in modern diagnostic systems, such as the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), offers a dimensional framework that incorporates key developmental domains such as identity, self-direction, empathy, and intimacy. Early detection of impairments in these areas is essential to promote mental and physical well-being and to prevent the onset of mental disorders. In addition, an improvement in physical fitness (PF) appears to be associated with a significantly lower risk of developing mental disorders. Thus, this study aimed to examine associations between the dimensions of personality functioning, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and PF in adolescents. A total of 186 adolescents (48.3% girls; mean age 15.6 ± 0.6 years) completed the KIDSCREEN-10, the Levels of Personality Functioning Questionnaire (LoPF-Q) 12–18, and the standardized German motor fitness test (DMT 6–18). Significant negative moderate and large correlations were found between HRQoL and overall personality dysfunction, as well as the identity, self-direction, empathy, and intimacy development domains. Additionally, PF showed significant negative moderate correlations with overall personality dysfunction, particularly with intimacy. Multiple regression analyses revealed that self-direction and intimacy were significantly negatively associated with the HRQoL, while intimacy was negatively associated with PF. Impaired personality functioning, particularly in self-direction and intimacy, was strongly associated with reduced HRQoL and PF in adolescents. These findings highlight the importance of recognizing emerging personality difficulties early and providing timely support, as this can play a vital role in promoting both mental and physical health during adolescence and later in life.

    Citation: Vera Prünster, Kirstin Goth, Martin Niedermeier, Klaus Greier, Karin Labek, Gerhard Ruedl. Personality functioning in adolescents and its association with health-related quality of life and physical fitness[J]. AIMS Public Health, 2025, 12(3): 952-969. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2025047

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  • Adolescence is a crucial developmental phase marked by major physical, cognitive, and psychosocial changes that shape self-perception and relationships, with lasting effects on mental and physical health. Personality functioning, a core concept in modern diagnostic systems, such as the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), offers a dimensional framework that incorporates key developmental domains such as identity, self-direction, empathy, and intimacy. Early detection of impairments in these areas is essential to promote mental and physical well-being and to prevent the onset of mental disorders. In addition, an improvement in physical fitness (PF) appears to be associated with a significantly lower risk of developing mental disorders. Thus, this study aimed to examine associations between the dimensions of personality functioning, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and PF in adolescents. A total of 186 adolescents (48.3% girls; mean age 15.6 ± 0.6 years) completed the KIDSCREEN-10, the Levels of Personality Functioning Questionnaire (LoPF-Q) 12–18, and the standardized German motor fitness test (DMT 6–18). Significant negative moderate and large correlations were found between HRQoL and overall personality dysfunction, as well as the identity, self-direction, empathy, and intimacy development domains. Additionally, PF showed significant negative moderate correlations with overall personality dysfunction, particularly with intimacy. Multiple regression analyses revealed that self-direction and intimacy were significantly negatively associated with the HRQoL, while intimacy was negatively associated with PF. Impaired personality functioning, particularly in self-direction and intimacy, was strongly associated with reduced HRQoL and PF in adolescents. These findings highlight the importance of recognizing emerging personality difficulties early and providing timely support, as this can play a vital role in promoting both mental and physical health during adolescence and later in life.



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    Acknowledgments


    The authors would like to thank the Funding Organization Förderkreis 1669 of the University of Innsbruck, Austria under Project Number P 6210–024–017 for the financial support of this study.

    Authors' contributions


    V.P., K.L., Kl.G. and G.R. conceived and designed the study. V.P. acquired the data. V.P. and M.N. performed the data analysis. V.P. and G.R. drafted the manuscript. M.N., Ki.G., Kl.G. and K.L. reviewed, revised, and approved the final manuscript. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

    Conflict of interest


    The authors declare there is no conflict of interest.

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