Association between insufficient level of physical activity and multiple health risk behaviors in adolescents

Abstract

To verify the association between insufficient level of physical activity and multiple health risk behaviors (HRB) in adolescents. Methods: This is an epidemiological study with cross-sectional design carried out in 2016 with 3,617 adolescents aged 14-19 years and enrolled in the public-school system of Sergipe, northeast Brazil. Data were collected using the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS/WHO). The insufficient level of physical activity was defined as not achieving at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity for 5 days a week. The HRB analyzed were smoking, alcohol consumption, low fruit consumption and exposure to sedentary behavior. The analysis of prevalence odds ratio was used to identify the association between insufficient level of physical activity and HRB, as well as unadjusted and adjusted binary logistic regression for the association between socioeconomic and demographic variables. Results: The prevalence of insufficient level of physical activity was 83.3%. There was association between physical inactivity and low fruit consumption and alcohol consumption (p<0.001). Insufficient level of physical activity was also associated with female sex (OR=1.90, 95% CI, 1.56-2.32), family income of up to 2 minimum wages (OR=1.57, 95% CI, 1.17-2.11), maternal schooling less than 8 years (OR=1.55, 95% CI, 1.28-1.86) and exposure to two different HRB at the same time (OR=1.76, 95% CI, 1.27-2.45). Conclusion: The prevalence of insufficient level of physical activity is high and was associated with multiple HRBs in this understudied population. These findings may support interventions focusing on the cluster of risk behaviors in youth.

Prevalence and incidence of insufficient physical activity in Brazilian adolescents during the pandemic: data from ConVid Adolescents

“…When considering race and financial difficulty as proxies for socioeconomic status, the present study confirms the influence of socioeconomic level on the practice of PA 44,45 . Adolescents who declared themselves to be black and who had financial difficulties during the pandemic had a higher incidence of insufficient PA.…”

Prevalência e incidência da prática insuficiente de atividade física em adolescentes brasileiros durante a pandemia: dados da ConVid Adolescentes

“…Ao considerarmos raça e dificuldade financeira como proxies de condição socioeconômica, o presente estudo confirma a influência do nível socioeconômico na prática de AF 44,45 . Os adolescentes que se autodeclararam da raça/cor da pele preta e que apresentaram dificuldades financeiras durante a pandemia apresentaram maior incidência de AF insuficiente.…”

Temporal trend of inactive commuting to school in adolescents from Sergipe, Brazil

“…The questionnaire used was a Portuguese version of the Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS/WHO) [21], already used in previous studies [16]. Data was collected by researchers with a degree in physical education, previously trained to questionnaire application.…”

“…In Brazil, environmental characteristics such as lack of bike path and heavy traffic, have stood out as barriers to the adoption of bicycle use in adults [15]. In Sergipe, a state in Northeast Brazil, only 16.7% of the adolescents meet the overall health recommendations of PA (it is suggested that adolescents should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA daily) [16], but the prevalence of Inactive Commuting (INAC) of these adolescents is still unknown. Therefore, it is necessary to focus attention on other domains of PA, especially the commuting to school, given its positive association with health benefits [17].…”