Scientific evidence suggests that meeting the 24-hour movement guidelines is associated with numerous health benefits. One concept that emphasizes an individual's active lifestyle is physical literacy (PL). However, the relationship between PL and 24 h movement guidelines in adolescents has not been analyzed to date. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived physical literacy (PPL) and adherence to the 24-hour movement guidelines in Spanish adolescents. This cross-sectional study included a total of 56 adolescents (mean age 13.2 ± 1.3 years). PL was assessed using the Spanish Perceived Physical Literacy Instrument for Adolescents (S-PPLI), categorizing participants into low, medium, and high PPL levels. To determine compliance with movement guidelines (24-hour movement), physical activity was assessed through accelerometry, while screen time and sleep duration were evaluated using questionnaires. One-way ANOVA and chi-square analysis were used to examine PPL levels and adherence to the 24-hour movement guidelines. The results indicated that higher levels of PPL were associated with greater adherence to the 24-hour movement guidelines. Specifically, most participants met one or two recommendations as PPL increased (p = 0.002). In the medium PPL group, 50% met one recommendation, 37.5% met two, and 12.5% did not meet any, while in the high PPL group, 52.8% met one recommendation, 41.7% met two, and 5.6% did not meet any. These findings suggest that higher levels of PPL are associated with greater adherence to the 24-hour movement guidelines. Future studies should explore this association in larger samples of Spanish adolescents and should promote the practical implications regarding the importance of designing educational programs. This should be achieved through curricula that are based on PL and that integrate strategies to reduce screen time, promote healthy sleep habits, and foster a comprehensive and sustainable understanding of these among adolescents.
Keywords: adolescents; movement behavior; physical activity; physical literacy; screen time.