Study protocol of a population-based cohort investigating Physical Activity, Sedentarism, lifestyles and Obesity in Spanish youth: the PASOS study

Abstract

IntroductionPhysical activity (PA) is essential to healthy mental and physical development in early life. However, the prevalence of physical inactivity, which is considered a key modifiable driver of childhood obesity, has reached alarming levels among European youth. There is a need to update the data for Spain, in order to establish if current measures are effective or new approaches are needed.Methods and analysisWe present the protocol for Physical Activity, Sedentarism, lifestyles and Obesity in Spanish youth (PASOS). This observational, nationally representative, multicentre study aims to determine the PA levels, sedentary behaviours and prevalence of physical inactivity (defined as <60 min of moderate to vigorous PA per day) in a representative sample of Spanish children and adolescents. The PASOS study has recruited a representative random sample of children and adolescents aged 8–16 years from 242 educational centres in the 17 ‘autonomous regions’ into which Spain is divided. The aim is to include a total of 4508 youth participants and their families. Weight, height and waist circumference will be measured by standardised procedures. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet, quality of life, sleep duration, PA and sedentary behaviour are being measured by validated questionnaires. PA is measured by the Physical Activity Unit 7-item Screener. A representative subsample (10% of participants) was randomly selected to wear accelerometers for 9 days to obtain objective data on PA. Parents are asked about their educational level, time spent doing PA, diet quality, self-perceived stress, smoking habit, weight, height, their child’s birth weight and if the child was breast fed.Ethics and disseminationThe study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain. Main findings of the study will be disseminated to the scientific community and to general public by media conferences, social media and a website.Trial registration numberISRCTN34251612.

Gender-Differentiated Analysis of the Correlation between Active Commuting to School vs. Active Commuting to Extracurricular Physical Activity Practice during Adolescence

“…Recent marked increases in the prevalence of obesity in Spanish children and youth have prompted public health authorities to emphasize the importance of achieving physical activity guidelines [ 31 , 32 ]. Public health interventions in this regard appear to be particularly needed for adolescent girls, among whom the prevalence of overweight and obesity (≥85th percentile body mass index for age) has risen to 34.9% (20.7% overweight and 14.2% obese) [ 33 ].…”

Screen Time and Parents’ Education Level Are Associated with Poor Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Spanish Children and Adolescents: The PASOS Study

“…This work is a cross-sectional study based on the Physical Activity, Sedentarism, lifestyles and Obesity in Spanish youth (PASOS) study. A complete description of the design and methodology of the PASOS study has previously been published [29]. The PASOS study is a multicenter, cross-sectional, population-based study conducted in a representative sample of the Spanish population aged 8 to 16 years.…”

“…The self-administered PAU-7S questionnaire, which consists of seven questions on physical activity, was used to estimate mean time spent daily (in minutes) and weekly (in hours) doing MVPA [29]. The PAU-7S questionnaire has been validated in a randomized sample of 321 participants from the PASOS study that completed the PAU-7S twice and wore an accelerometer (reference method) for at least 7 consecutive days.…”

Implementation of a Hybrid Educational Program between the Model of Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) and the Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) in Physical Education and Its Effects on Health: An Approach Based on Mixed Methods

“…The World Health Organization (WHO) establishes that health is “a complete state of physical, mental and social well-being and not simply the absence of disease or illness” [ 1 ]. In this sense, the prevalence of physical inactivity and sedentary lifestyles are key factors that increase obesity in the worsening of general health [ 2 ]. For this situation, the WHO [ 3 ] establishes among its measures for people to be more physically active, the need for national policies to provide primary and secondary education centers with the necessary resources to develop a quality physical education (PE) that maintains physically active behaviors in children and adolescents throughout life.…”