Prevalence of levels of physical activity and associated factors among school teenagers

Abstract

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of insufficient levels of physical activity and associated factors between adolescents. A cross-sectional study was performed in 2017/2018 with high school students from public schools in Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil. A self completion the IPAQ-short form was used to evaluate physical activity levels, categorizing the adolescents in active, insufficiently active and physically inactive. The independent variables were sociodemographic profile, food consumption, alcohol/drug use, health conditions, and physical education classes. Multinomial Logistic Regression was used to calculate odds ratio (OR) and confidence intervals (CI) of 95%, correcting by the design effect. A total of 2,040 adolescents from 21 schools participated in the study. As for the practice of physical activity, 21.3% were insufficiently active and 23.7% were physically inactive. The chances to be insufficiently active were higher among girls (OR = 1.39; 95%CI: 1.01 – 1.91), whom rarely ate fruits (OR = 1.54; 95%CI: 1.00 – 2.37) who were doing anything about their body weight (OR = 1.78; 95%CI: 1.34 – 2.37) and with regular self-perception of health (OR = 1.75; 95%CI: 1.27 – 2. 42). There was a greater chance of being physically inactive among those with lower incomes (OR = 1.44; 95%CI: 1.09 – 1.92), whom rarely ate fruits (OR = 1.76; 95%CI: 1.22 – 2.55), with good self-perception of health (OR = 1.54; 95%CI: 1.15 – 2.07), and without interest about the physical activity classes (OR = 1.69; 95%CI: 1.02 – 2.81). This study shows that almost half of adolescents were insufficiently active, indicating the need to implement programs related to the promotion of physical activity in adolescence.