Abstract
<p>Background: Early adolescents’ physical and mental wellbeing have declined globally over the past years. Understanding the behaviors that early adolescents perceive as contributing to wellbeing is crucial for the development and optimization of effective preventive intervention strategies. Using a qualitative approach, this study examined which behaviors early adolescents perceive as contributing to their physical and mental wellbeing and which behaviors they prioritize as most important.Methods: Data were collected during the first session of the Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) study called ActiveMinds. Participants were 118 Dutch early adolescents aged 10–12 years (M = 11.27, SD = .77; 53.7% female). Data were generated through participatory activities and analyzed using inductive reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Early adolescents described wellbeing-related behaviors across five themes: maintaining and supporting the body, unwinding and seeking distraction, creative and cognitive engagement, social interaction and connection, and outdoor and nature engagement. They described physical and mental wellbeing as closely interrelated rather than as separate domains. Social aspects were embedded across many behaviors contributing to both wellbeing domains, and adolescents tended to prioritize behaviors that supported multiple aspects of wellbeing. Organized team sports and sleep were most frequently prioritized for physical wellbeing, whereas chilling and hanging out with friends were most frequently prioritized for mental wellbeing. Conclusion: Taken together, these findings highlight the importance of adopting a more holistic approach to promoting wellbeing through preventive interventions that recognize the interconnected nature of physical and mental wellbeing and the central role of social aspects in early adolescents’ wellbeing-related behaviors.</p>