Physical activity (PA) in children/adolescents of both genders from a rural community in Mozambique was estimated by accelerometry and by questionnaire and was compared with PA of Portuguese youth. Total PA, moderate (MPA), vigorous (VPA) and very vigorous (VVPA) were evaluated. Mozambican boys were more active than girls. Intensity of PA declined significantly with age. Survival activities, such as household tasks, were the predominant mode of PA. Compared with Portuguese children/adolescents, Mozambicans had significantly higher total PA; showed less decline of PA with age and engaged in fewer minutes at higher intensity PA. Environmental factors likely explain documented differences.

Nutritional status was not associated with PA levels or the prevalence of parasitological indicators in youth, but was related to physical performance.

The results suggest that in rural Mozambique, deficits in height, weight, or both did not limit the physical activity levels of children and adolescents.

No abstract

Objective: To analyze the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Mozambican public employees on the prevention of COVID-19. Methodology/Approach: 126 Mozambican public employees (79 men, 43 women and 4 who chose not to disclose their gender) answered a closed questionnaire applied through the Google Form online platform. The questionnaire was open for 5 days (two weekend and three business days). Findings: The results suggest that employees are knowledgeable; however, efforts should be made to carry out educational actions to improve attitudes and change practices related to the prevention of COVID-19. Research limitation/implications: Existence of some respondents who are not public employees due to online data collection, who were excluded from the study. Originality/Value of the article: The conclusions of the study serve as a means of punctual intervention for Mozambican health entities as well as illustrating specific areas of concentration in education for the prevention of COVID-19. On the other hand, they enrich the specific scientific field, which is still empty of knowledge.