{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,9]],"date-time":"2026-06-09T07:47:21Z","timestamp":1780991241402,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,13]],"date-time":"2025-05-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1747094400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title><jats:p>The study aims to compare physical activity, sleep, body mass index (BMI), subjective health, stress, depression, impulsivity, and emotional intelligence across the Baltic countries while identifying key health determinants.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>We interviewed men and women (18\u201364\u202fyears) in Estonia (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u202f=\u202f1,503) Latvia (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u202f=\u202f1,563) and Lithuania (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u202f=\u202f2,358) via an online survey.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Obesity is most common among individuals in EE, both males and females, while the highest rates of overweight are observed in EE females and LT males. Sleep duration is comparable across the different countries, with women generally sleeping longer than men (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.05). Sedentary behavior is shortest among LT females and LV males, although in all countries, females tend to sit more than males (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.05). Moderate physical activity (MPA) levels are similar among males, but they are highest among EE females. In contrast, vigorous physical activity (VPA) is most prevalent in LV males and females. Emotional intelligence (EI) is lowest among LV females and EE males, while females consistently exhibit higher EI than males across all countries. Lithuanians frequently rate their health as \u201cexcellent\u201d and show the lowest levels of impulsivity. Additionally, depression and stress are lowest in EE females and LV males. Estonians are more likely to eat breakfast regularly and tend to overeat less than their counterparts in LV and LT.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>Our research clearly shows that perceived health among the Baltic countries is significantly inversely related to age, perceived stress, depression, and Body Mass Index (BMI). In contrast, we found positive associations between vigorous physical activity (VPA) and emotional intelligence (EI).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1522918","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,13]],"date-time":"2025-05-13T04:10:21Z","timestamp":1747109421000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Self-rated health habits, mental health, emotional intelligence, and impulsivity across the Baltic States"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Albertas","family":"Skurvydas","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dovile","family":"Valanciene","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ausra","family":"Lisinskiene","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ruta","family":"Dadeliene","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Asta","family":"Sarkauskiene","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andra","family":"Fern\u0101te","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zermena","family":"Vazne","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Juris","family":"Grants","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andre","family":"Koka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Daiva","family":"Majauskiene","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"607","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-physiol-020518-114339","article-title":"The physiology of optimizing health with a focus on exercise as medicine","volume":"81","author":"Pedersen","year":"2019","journal-title":"Annu Rev Physiol"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1451","DOI":"10.1136\/bjsports-2020-102955","article-title":"World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour","volume":"54","author":"Bull","year":"2020","journal-title":"Br J Sports Med"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"862","DOI":"10.1111\/sms.12510","article-title":"Emotional intelligence in sport and exercise: a systematic review","volume":"26","author":"Laborde","year":"2016","journal-title":"Scand J Med Sci Sports"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"12809","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph182312809","article-title":"Physical activity, stress, depression, emotional intelligence, logical thinking, and overall health in a large Lithuanian from October 2019 to June 2020: age and gender differences adult sample","volume":"18","author":"Skurvydas","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"12405","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph182312405","article-title":"Did COVID-19 pandemic change People's physical activity distribution, eating, and alcohol consumption habits as well as body mass index?","volume":"18","author":"Skurvydas","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e13261","DOI":"10.1111\/obr.13261","article-title":"Effect of exercise training on psychological outcomes in adults with overweight or obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"22","author":"Carra\u00e7a","year":"2021","journal-title":"Obes Rev"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3214","DOI":"10.1038\/s41380-022-01638-z","article-title":"A systematic review and meta-analysis on prevalence of and risk factors associated with depression, anxiety, and insomnia in infectious diseases, including COVID-19: a call to action","volume":"27","author":"Yuan","year":"2022","journal-title":"Mol Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"550","DOI":"10.1001\/jamapsychiatry.2022.0609","article-title":"Association between physical activity and risk of depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"79","author":"Pearce","year":"2022","journal-title":"JAMA Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1351","DOI":"10.1152\/physrev.00019.2016","article-title":"Role of inactivity in chronic diseases: evolutionary insight and pathophysiological mechanisms","volume":"97","author":"Booth","year":"2017","journal-title":"Physiol Rev"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"101061","DOI":"10.1016\/j.arr.2020.101061","article-title":"Instrumented measures of sedentary behaviour and physical activity are associated with mortality in community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis","volume":"61","author":"Rojer","year":"2020","journal-title":"Ageing Res Rev"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3001","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mayocp.2021.05.021","article-title":"Synergistic assessment of mortality risk according to body mass index and exercise ability and capacity in patients referred for radionuclide stress testing","volume":"96","author":"Rozanski","year":"2021","journal-title":"Mayo Clin Proc"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3342","DOI":"10.3390\/nu12113342","article-title":"The effect of the Mediterranean diet on metabolic health: a systematic review and Meta-analysis of controlled trials in adults","volume":"12","author":"Papadaki","year":"2020","journal-title":"Nutrients"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e13273","DOI":"10.1111\/obr.13273","article-title":"Exercise training in the management of overweight and obesity in adults: synthesis of the evidence and recommendations from the European Association for the Study of obesity physical activity working group","volume":"22","author":"Oppert","year":"2021","journal-title":"Obes Rev"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1419","DOI":"10.1038\/oby.2012.62","article-title":"Relationship between sleep quality and quantity and weight loss in women participating in a weight-loss intervention trial","volume":"20","author":"Thomson","year":"2012","journal-title":"Obesity"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2074","DOI":"10.1038\/s41366-021-00877-4","article-title":"Temporal patterns of physical activity in successful weight loss maintainers","volume":"45","author":"Creasy","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Obes"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"220","DOI":"10.1001\/archgenpsychiatry.2010.2","article-title":"Overweight, obesity, and depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies","volume":"67","author":"Luppino","year":"2010","journal-title":"Arch Gen Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"607","DOI":"10.3390\/healthcare9050607","article-title":"Relationship between emotional intelligence, sleep quality and body mass index in emergency nurses","volume":"9","author":"Miguez-Torres","year":"2021","journal-title":"Healthcare (Basel)"},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"191","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychres.2018.08.015","article-title":"Emotional intelligence, emotion regulation and affectivity in adults seeking treatment for obesity","volume":"269","author":"Andrei","year":"2018","journal-title":"Psychiatry Res"},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"570","DOI":"10.1016\/j.archger.2012.06.004","article-title":"Emotional intelligence (EI) as a predictor of depression status in older adults","volume":"55","author":"Lloyd","year":"2012","journal-title":"Arch Gerontol Geriatr"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"175","DOI":"10.3390\/sports6040175","article-title":"The influence of emotional intelligence on performance in competitive sports: a Meta-analytical investigation","volume":"6","author":"Kopp","year":"2018","journal-title":"Sports (Basel)"},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"63","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psyneuen.2018.05.014","article-title":"Perceived stress correlates with visceral obesity and lipid parameters of the metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"95","author":"Tenk","year":"2018","journal-title":"Psychoneuroendocrinology"},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1008","DOI":"10.1080\/10253890.2021.1985994","article-title":"The association between chronic stress, hair cortisol, and angiographically documented coronary atherosclerosis, a case-control study","volume":"24","author":"Nafisa","year":"2021","journal-title":"Stress"},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"28","DOI":"10.1186\/s12966-019-0791-8","article-title":"Depression, emotional eating and long-term weight changes: a population-based prospective study","volume":"16","author":"Konttinen","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act"},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"113713","DOI":"10.1016\/j.physbeh.2022.113713","article-title":"Nutrition, anxiety and hormones. Why sex differences matter in the link between obesity and behavior","volume":"247","author":"Clark","year":"2022","journal-title":"Physiol Behav"},{"key":"ref25","volume-title":"Factsheets on health-enhanching physical activity in the 28 European Union member states of the WHO European region","year":"2015"},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2024.21972","article-title":"World medical association declaration of Helsinki: ethical principles for medical research involving human participants","volume":"333","year":"2024","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"279","DOI":"10.4103\/0971-5916.245303","article-title":"National ethical guidelines for biomedical & health research involving human participants, 2017: a commentary","volume":"148","author":"Mathur","year":"2018","journal-title":"Indian J Med Res"},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1196","DOI":"10.1249\/01.MSS.0000074446.02192.14","article-title":"Validation of a new self-report instrument for measuring physical activity","volume":"35","author":"Aadahl","year":"2003","journal-title":"Med Sci Sports Exerc"},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"167","DOI":"10.1016\/S0191-8869(98)00001-4","article-title":"Development and validation of a measure of emotional intelligence","volume":"25","author":"Schutte","year":"1998","journal-title":"Personal Individ Differ"},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"385","DOI":"10.2307\/2136404","article-title":"A global measure of perceived stress","volume":"24","author":"Cohen","year":"1983","journal-title":"J Health Soc Behav"},{"key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"768","DOI":"10.1002\/1097-4679(199511)51:6<768::AID-JCLP2270510607>3.0.CO;2-1","article-title":"Factor structure of of the Barratt impulsiveness scale","volume":"51","author":"Patton","year":"1995","journal-title":"J Clin Psychol"},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"221","DOI":"10.1111\/nyas.13665","article-title":"Persistent effects of obesity: a neuroplasticity hypothesis","volume":"1428","author":"Matikainen-Ankney","year":"2018","journal-title":"Ann N Y Acad Sci"},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"609012","DOI":"10.3389\/fnut.2021.609012","article-title":"A systematic review of obesity and binge eating associated impairment of the cognitive inhibition system","volume":"8","author":"Saruco","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front Nutr"},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"808","DOI":"10.1126\/science.abe5017","article-title":"Daily energy expenditure through the human life course","volume":"373","author":"Pontzer","year":"2021","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"673","DOI":"10.1007\/s10654-020-00650-3","article-title":"Global, regional and time-trend prevalence of central obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 13.2 million subjects","volume":"35","author":"Wong","year":"2020","journal-title":"Eur J Epidemiol"},{"key":"ref36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"113","DOI":"10.1038\/s41562-020-00965-x","article-title":"Sleep characteristics across the lifespan in 1.1\u202fmillion people from the Netherlands, United Kingdom and United States: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"5","author":"Kocevska","year":"2021","journal-title":"Nat Hum Behav"},{"key":"ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"10076","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph191610076","article-title":"What types of exercise are best for emotional intelligence and logical thinking?","volume":"19","author":"Skurvydas","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"ref38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1486","DOI":"10.1037\/dev0000191","article-title":"Age and gender differences in ability emotional intelligence in adults: a cross-sectional study","volume":"52","author":"Cabello","year":"2016","journal-title":"Dev Psychol"},{"key":"ref39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"546","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-024-17806-5","article-title":"Mood profile in men and women of all ages is improved by leisure-time physical activity rather than work-related physical activity","volume":"24","author":"Skurvydas","year":"2024","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"ref40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0307744","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0307744","article-title":"Leisure-time physical activity improves happiness, health, and mood profile better than work-related physical activity","volume":"19","author":"Skurvydas","year":"2024","journal-title":"PLoS One"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Public Health"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1522918\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,13]],"date-time":"2025-05-13T04:10:22Z","timestamp":1747109422000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1522918\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,13]]},"references-count":40,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1522918"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1522918","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-2565"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-2565","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,13]]},"article-number":"1522918"}}