PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: DATA ON BRAZILIAN ADOLESCENTS

Although the benefits of regular physical activity (PA) for adolescents are well-described in the literature, there is little evidence of the role of psychosocial aspects on levels of PA in this population.

Objective

To investigate the prevalence and sociodemographic factors associated with enjoyment of PA and preference for leisure-time activities in boys and girls.

Methods

A cross-sectional study, with 6529 adolescents (aged 15 to 19 years) enrolled in secondary education in public schools in the South of Brazil. Logistic regression was used to analyze the association between sociodemographic factors and the variables of interest, with data collection using a standardized questionnaire.

Results

Boys enjoyed (87.1%) and preferred (44.4%) PA more than girls (enjoyment: 79.2%; preference: 29.5%). Among the boys, enjoyment was associated with family income(OR_{3-5 wages}=1.53; OR_{≥6 wages}=1.62) and, among the girls, it was associated with age (OR_{19 years}=0.28), occupational status (OR_workers=1.45), and income (OR_{3-5 wages}=1.35). Preference was associated with age (OR_{19 years}=2.48) and income (OR_{≥6 wages}=0.70) among the boys and, among girls, it was associated with area of residence (OR_rural=1.47) and occupation (OR_workers=1.31).

Conclusion

Boys (enjoyment: 87.1%; preference: 44.4%) had more positive attitudes toward PA than girls (enjoyment: 79.2%; preference: 29.5%), and some sociodemographic variables appear to be more closely associated with these attitudes than others. Enjoyment was associated with family income for boys, and with age, occupation and income for girls. Preference, in turn, was associated with age and family income for boys, and area of residence and occupational status for girls. Level of evidence II, Diagnostic studies - Investigation of a diagnostic test.

Choice behavior; Leisure activities; Motor activity; Pleasure; Students

Variables	Boys (n= 2,520)						Girls (n=3,255)
	n	%	Crude		Adjusted		n	%	Crude		Adjusted
	n	%	OR	95%CI	OR	95%CI	n	%	OR	95%CI	OR	95%CI
Age (years) (5,346)
15	561	86.0	1.00		1.00		748	80.3	1.00		1.00
16	828	86.6	1.06	[0.73; 1.52]	1.12	[0.72; 1.73]	999	79.3	0.94	[0.71; 1.25]	0.95	[0.65; 1.40]
17	774	88.3	1.23	[0.85; 1.76]	1.36	[0.85; 2.17]	886	79.6	0.96	[0.74; 1.23]	1.05	[0.74; 1.49]
18	261	88.3	1.23	[0.77; 1.95]	1.62	[0.83; 3.16]	183	76.2	0.79	[0.45; 1.37]	1.15	[0.72; 1.83]
19	70	84.5	0.89	[0.44; 1.78]	0.89	[0.30; 2.65]	36	59.0	0.35	[0.17; 0.76]	0.28	[0.14; 0.57]
Area of residence (5,312)
Urban	1,896	87.3	1.00		1.00		2,142	78.4	1.00		1.00
Rural	587	86.5	0.93	[0.70; 1.22]	0.81	[0.56; 1.18]	687	82.0	1.25	[0.90; 1.74]	1.01	[0.72; 1.42]
Family structure (5,323)
Lives with the family	2,432	87.1	1.00		1.00		2,736	79.1	1.00		1.00
Lives with other people	53	87.9	1.08	[0.40; 2.87]	0.95	[0.34; 2.65]	102	83.7	1.35	[0.79; 2.33]	1.69	[0.95; 3.02]
Period of school attendance (5,436)
Morning	1,373	87.6	1.00		1.00		1,902	80.4	1.00		1.00
Evening	1,121	85.8	0.85	[0.64; 1.13]	1.09	[0.75; 1.59]	950	75.2	0.74	[0.58; 0.95]	0.93	[0.69; 1.25]
Occupational status (5,345)
Does not work	1,648	88.2	1.00		1.00		1,419	81.4	1.00		1.00
Works	846	85.5	1.27	[0.96; 1.68]	1.11	[0.72; 1.71]	1,432	77.6	1.26	[1.06; 1.51]	1.45	[1.17; 1.80]
Family income (5,301)a
Until 2 minimum wages	602	84.8	1.00		1.00		1,109	76.3	1.00		1.00
From 3 to 5 minimum wages	1,275	88.0	1.31	[0.98; 1.77]	1.53	[1.07; 2.18]	1,374	81.4	1.36	[1.14; 1.62]	1.35	[1.04; 1.75]
6 or more minimum wages	599	87.7	1.27	[0.84; 1.93]	1.62	[1.02; 2.56]	342	80.1	1.25	[0.82; 1.90]	1.09	[0.71; 1.69]
Maternal education (5,088)
Elementary school	1,288	86.3	1.00		1.00		1,676	79.8	1.00		1.00
High school	766	89.6	1.37	[1.03; 1.83]	1.25	[0.90; 1.74]	801	79.7	0.99	[0.79; 1.25]	1.02	[0.76; 1.37]
College education	286	87.9	1.15	[0.72; 1.86]	0.80	[0.46; 1.40]	271	79.3	0.97	[0.67; 1.42]	0.91	[0.64; 1.29]

Variables	Boys (n= 2,520)						Girls (n=3,255)
	n	%	Crude		Adjusted		n	%	Crude		Adjusted
	n	%	OR	95%CI	OR	95%CI	n	%	OR	95%CI	OR	95%CI
Age (years) (2,293)
15	288	46.8	1.00		1.00		290	30.9	1.00		1.00
16	398	42.0	0.82	[0.65; 1.05]	0.78	[0.57; 1.05]	368	28.7	0.90	[0.69; 1.18]	0.90	[0.66; 1.22]
17	368	44.0	0.89	[0.68; 1.17]	0.91	[0.65; 1.28]	331	30.0	0.96	[0.73; 1.26]	0.99	[0.70; 1.40]
18	125	43.0	0.86	[0.63; 1.17]	0.80	[0.57; 1.12]	63	24.9	0.74	[0.54; 1.03]	0.97	[0.67; 1.41]
19	43	63.6	1.99	[1.02; 3.88]	2.48	[1.09; 5.61]	19	36.2	1.27	[0.60; 2.68]	2.16	[0.91; 5.14]
Area of residence (2,278)
Urban	908	44.2	1.00		1.00		766	27.6	1.00		1.00
Rural	309	46.0	1.07	[0.80; 1.44]	0.95	[0.68; 1.31]	295	36.9	1.53	[1.20; 1.95]	1.47	[1.09; 1.98]
Family structure
Lives with the family	1,196	44.7	1.00		1.00		1,029	29.4	1.00		1.00
Lives with other people	22	29.7	0.52	[0.27; 1.02]	0.55	[0.24; 1.27]	38	33.5	1.21	[0.81; 1.79]	1.15	[0.75; 1.76]
Period of school attendance (2,293)
Morning	706	47.0	1.00		1.00		701	29.3	1.00		1.00
Evening	516	38.7	0.71	[0.58; 0.87]	0.81	[0.63; 1.03]	370	30.4	1.05	[0.85; 1.30]	1.13	[0.87; 1.45]
Occupational status (2,293)
Does not work	805	44.9	1.00		1.00		573	33.2	1.00		1.00
Works	417	43.8	1.05	[0.85; 1.28]	1.17	[0.91; 1.50]	498	26.7	1.36	[1.14; 1.62]	1.31	[1.06; 1.63]
Family income (2,263)a
Until 2 minimum wages	309	46.9	1.00		1.00		447	29.7	1.00		1.00
From 3 to 5 minimum wages	628	45.0	0.93	[0.75; 1.15]	0.91	[0.69; 1.21]	487	29.5	0.99	[0.82; 1.20]	0.87	[0.67; 1.12]
6 or more minimum wages	271	41.1	0.79	[0.59; 1.07]	0.70	[0.50; 1.00]	121	28.8	0.96	[0.72; 1.27]	0.82	[0.62; 1.09]
Maternal education (2,166)
Elementary school	625	44.2	1.00		1.00		643	30.7	1.00		1.00
High school	363	43.9	0.99	[0.81; 1.20]	0.89	[0.73; 1.09]	272	27.3	0.85	[0.69; 1.03]	0.88	[0.70; 1.12]
College education	159	49.1	1.22	[0.92; 1.61]	1.29	[0.92; 1.81]	104	29.6	0.95	[0.73; 1.24]	1.05	[0.78; 1.40]

Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina do Exercício e do Esporte Av. Brigadeiro Luís Antônio, 278, 6º and., 01318-901 São Paulo SP, Tel.: +55 11 3106-7544, Fax: +55 11 3106-8611 - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: atharbme@uol.com.br

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[1] Correspondence: Cecília Bertuol. Campus Universitário Reitor João David Ferreira Lima, Centro de Desportos, Florianopolis, SC, Brazil. 88040-900. bertuolcecilia@gmail.com