Physical inactivity is a current worldwide, and especially Mexican adolescents. Therefore, this study has the following objectives: (i) to analyze the PA-LT pattern of Mexican adolescents; (ii) to analyze whether there are differences in emotional intelligence, basic psychological needs, academic motivation, self-esteem, and academic satisfaction according to the PA-LT pattern; (iii) to analyze the relationship between emotional intelligence, basic psychological needs, academic motivation, self-esteem, and academic satisfaction. A total of 748 secondary school students participated, of which 374 were girls (Mean age = 13.99; SD = 0.30) and 374 boys (Mean age = 14.02; SD = 0.33). The questionnaire comprised the following scales: IE, NPB-ESC, EMA, EA, and SIE. The main results obtained show that none of the girls stick to any active physical activity pattern during their spare time. In addition, physically active boys obtained better scores in emotional clarity, emotional repair, perception of academic competence, perception of social relationships, extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation, self-esteem, and satisfaction with school.
Keywords: basic psychological needs; emotional intelligence; motivation; school satisfaction; self-esteem.