The results of both surveys were very similar. Because of the lower cost, the telephone interview is a good option in public health for the behavioral risk-factor surveillance system.
This study analyzed leisure-time physical activity among 1,621 adults who were non-users of the Academias da Cidade Program in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, but who lived in the vicinity of a fitness center in operation (exposed Group I) or in the vicinity of two sites reserved for future installation of centers (control Groups II and III). The dependent variable was leisure-time physical activity, and linear distance from the households to the fitness centers was the exposure variable, categorized in radial buffers: < 500m; 500-1,000m; and 1,000-1,500m. Binary logistic regression was performed with the Generalized Estimation Equations method. Residents living within < 500m of the fitness center gave better ratings to the physical environment when compared to those living in the 1,000 and 1,500m buffers and showed higher odds of leisure-time physical activity (OR = 1.16; 95%CI: 1.03-1.30), independently of socio-demographic factors; the same was not observed in the control groups (II and III). The findings suggests the program’s potential for influencing physical activity in the population living closer to the fitness center and thus provide a strategic alternative for mitigating inequalities in leisure-time physical activity.
Introduction: Family context plays an important role with regard to the physical activity (PA) of adolescents. Intense changes in family composition, including an increase of single-parent structures can affect behavior. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of PA, between boys and girls of 11-17 years old, and investigate its association with family context variables. Methods: A cross-sectional population-based study "The BH Health Study" was conducted in two health districts of Belo Horizonte. The outcome was PA (≥ 300 minutes/week), which was created from a score that combined time and frequency of cycling and walking to school and leisure time. The independent variables were family context, sociodemographic characteristics and nutritional status. Poisson regression was used with a robust variance and was stratified by gender. Results: 1,015 adolescents participated, 52.8% of whom were male, with a mean age of 14 (± 1.9) years old. The prevalence of PA was 38.8% for girls and 54.5% for boys. Among girls, the family context variables were not significantly associated with PA. Boys were more active when there was an adult in the household reported who did PA (PR = 1.26; 95%CI 1.02 -1.55) and when living with a single mother (PR = 1.63; 95%CI 1.01 -2.63). It was also observed that boys that live with their mother and father (PR=1.90; 95%CI 1.06 -3.41) or only with their mother (PR = 1.82; 95%CI 1.01 -3.27) reported did PA more frequently in their free time. Conclusion: The presence of an active adult in the household, mainly the mother, appears to be an important factor associated with boys' PA.
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