Prevalence of physical activity through the practice of sports among adolescents from Portuguese speaking countries

Ciência & Saúde Coletiva

Diego Giulliano Destro Christofaro¹  Rômulo Araújo Fernandes¹  Catarina Martins¹  Enio Ricardo Vaz Ronque¹  Manuel João Coelho-e-silva¹  Analiza Mônica Silva¹  Luis Bettencourt Sardinha¹  Edilson Serpeloni Cyrino¹ 

关键词: Sports;    Physical activity;    Adolescents;    Esportes;    Atividade física;    Adolescentes;   

DOI  :  10.1590/1413-81232015204.00692014

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

This study evaluated the prevalence of physical activity through the practice of sports in adolescents from schools in two Brazilian cities and a Portuguese school, and its association with independent variables, such as gender and age. A cross-sectional study was conducted of schoolchildren from two cities in Brazil and one in Portugal. The total study sample was 3694 subjects (1622 males and 1872 females). Physical activity levels were assessed using Baecke's questionnaire. Body weight was measured on electronic scales and stature was measured with a portable wooden stadiometer. Numerical variables were expressed as mean, categorical variables were expressed as percentages and the chi-square test analyzed associations. The prevalence of no sport was high (39.7%), being higher in the Portuguese school than in the Brazilian schools (p < 0.001). Irrespective of being an adolescent in a Brazilian or Portuguese school, boys showed higher engagement in sports practice than girls (p < 0.001). In both, differences were identified between adolescents aged 13 to 15 (P = 0.001) and 16 to 17 (P = 0.001). The prevalence of physical inactivity among schoolchildren from two cities in Brazil and a school in Portugal was high, with the girls practicing less sport than the boys and with this imbalance likely to be higher in adolescents.

【 授权许可】

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