The Role of Physical Activity to Mitigate Academic Burnout among Moroccan Adolescents

Objective: The current study explores the potential mediating effects of body mass index (BMI) in the impact of physical activity on academic burnout. Methods and Materials: 1197 participants from public secondary school students from Rabat-Sale-Kenitra Region (Morocco) with a mean age of 17.15 years (SD=1.328), including 59.1% of girls, responded to an Arabic version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS), a short from the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-sf), and standardized questions to calculate BMI. The IBM SPSS statistics 26.0 and Amos 24 were used to analyze the data. Findings: The findings indicated a detrimental association between school burnout, BMI, and physical activity levels. An inverse correlation was observed between physical activity and this mental disorder, with BMI functioning as a mediating factor in this dynamic. Regular physical activity mitigates academic burnout by achieving a healthier BMI. Conclusion: These findings can be explored to propose suitable strategies for mitigating academic burnout in secondary school.