Enhancing Adolescent Well-Being: Sleep, Nutrition, Substance Use, Leisure Activities, and Community Strategies for Effective Public Health Interventions

Adolescence is a critical period marked by significant physical, emotional, and social changes that influence adolescents' health and behavior. This study analyzes self-perceived health, mood, sleep patterns, substance use, dietary habits, and leisure activities among 120 adolescents aged 14 to 17 in a municipality in Barcelona. Results revealed that 82.6% of girls had consumed al-cohol compared to 56.9% of boys (p = 0.003), and 42.15% of girls reported having smoked at least once versus 19.83% of boys (p < 0.001). Physical inactivity was reported by 17.4% of girls compared to 11.8% of boys, highlighting barriers to participation. Regarding sleep patterns, a significant variation was observed in the 8.5-hour category (p = 0.0090). Breakfast skipping was more common among girls (33.3%) than boys (21.6%). These findings underscore the im-portance of integrating gender-sensitive public health strategies to address disparities in sub-stance use, physical activity, and dietary habits while promoting sleep hygiene and holistic adolescent well-being through municipal and community-based initiatives.