Estimated prevalence and gender disparity of physical activity among 64,127 in-school adolescents (aged 12–17 years): A multi-country analysis of Global School-based Health Surveys from 23 African countries

Abstract

The Africa sub-region currently lacks quantitative normative data to illustrate the extent of burden and gender inequities of physical activity level in order to inform policy and education, towards meeting the WHO’s 2030 physical activity milestone. The study aimed to provide insights on the current prevalence of sufficient physical activity and gender disparity, using a nationally representative data from the Global School-based student Health Survey (GSHS) from 23 African countries. The study used the multi-country GSHS data from 23 African countries (2003–2017). Sufficient physical activity was measured through self-administered questionnaire. The prevalence of sufficient physical activity among in-school adolescents in each country was estimated by proportion with corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Meta-analysis with random effect was employed to pool the prevalence of physical activity level in the 23 African countries. Additionally, sub-group, sensitivity, and meta-regression analyses were performed. The study included 23 African countries representing 64,127 in-school adolescents aged 12–17 years. Overall, only 20% [95% CI: 18%-22%] of adolescents in Africa engaged in sufficient physical activity. With respect to sex, only 25% [95% CI: 22%-28%] of males and 16% [95% CI: 14%-18%] of females met the WHO recommendation of sufficient physical activity. Sufficient physical activity ranged from 11.6% [9.2%-14.5%] in Sudan to 38.3% [CI:30.2%-47.1%] in Benin. Sufficient physical activity in boys ranged from 7.5% [95% CI: 6.2%-9.0%] in Zambia to 29.2% [95% CI: 22.5%-36.8%] in Benin, and ranged from 2.5% [95% CI: 1.6%-4.0%] in Senegal to 12.2% [95% CI:10.6%-14.1%] in Tanzania for girls. Only 20% of in-school adolescents met the WHO’s recommended physical activity level. Generally, adolescent girls in Africa are less active than adolescent boys. Addressing the rising burden of insufficient physical activity in adolescents and narrowing the gender gap could ultimately increase the overall physical activity engagement and achieve the WHO’s global physical activity target by 2030.

Comparing Adolescents at Risk and Not at Risk of Non-Communicable Disease in Terms of Body Composition and Physical Activity in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

“…Approximately 25% of boys met the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation for sufficient physical activity exercise, contrasting with a lower rate of 16% among girls (Ackah et al 2022). This observed sex discrepancy may be attributed to entrenched traditional and religious norms prevalent found in many North African countries.…”

“…The World Health Organization (WHO) physical activity guidelines for adolescents at risk for NCDs recommend accumulating at least an average of 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day to attain the most health benefits from physical activity (Saqib et al 2020). According to Ackah et al (2022), a multi-country analysis of Global School-based Health Surveys report that only 20% of adolescents in Africa engage in sufficient physical activity.…”

Association between Physical Activity and Health Outcomes (High Body Fatness, High Blood Pressure) in Namibian Adolescents and Adult women

“…Furthermore, only 20% of in-school adolescents met the WHO's recommended PA level, according to a multi-country analysis of Global School-Based Health Surveys from 23 African countries, including Namibia. The Survey also showed that teenage girls in Africa are less active than teenage boys [5].…”