Conflicted and healthy behavioural profiles in adolescents: a latent profile analysis of traditional sports attitude, physical activity attitude, and digital game addiction

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify latent profiles of adolescents based on their traditional sports attitudes, digital game addiction levels, and physical activity attitudes using a person-centered approach. METHOD: A total of 634 adolescents (female = 50.5%, n = 320; male = 49.5%, n = 314; mean age = 15.8 years; Grades 9-12) from state high schools in Antalya and Osmaniye provinces were assessed using the Traditional Sports Attitude Scale, the Digital Game Addiction Scale, and the Physical Activity Attitude Scale. Data were analysed via Latent Profile Analysis (LPA); between-profile differences were examined through ANOVA and post-hoc tests. RESULTS: LPA yielded three meaningful profiles (Entropy = 0.816). The Active-Healthy profile (n = 467, 73.7%) is characterised by high traditional sports attitude, low digital game addiction, and positive physical activity attitude. The Conflicted-Addicted profile (n = 101, 15.9%) exhibits an unexpected internal conflict pattern, carrying the highest digital game addiction in the sample (M = 3.31) despite high traditional sports attitude. The At-Risk profile (n = 66, 10.4%) displays the lowest values across all positive variables. Post-hoc analyses showed that traditional sports attitude failed to differentiate two profiles (|d| = 0.01 to 0.16; p = .314-0.994); whereas negative physical activity attitude was the strongest discriminating variable (η² = 0.621). CONCLUSION: A high traditional sports attitude cannot be considered universally protective against digital addiction risk. Intervention programs should directly target negative physical activity attitudes, beyond the dimension of cultural participation.