OBJECTIVE: To establish differences and similarities in stages of behavioral change related to physical activity and associated factors in adolescents from two regions of Brazil. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on public school students aged 14 to 17 years, including 601 from the mid-west of Santa Catarina (SC, Brazil) and 464 from the north of Minas Gerais (MG, Brazil). Stages of behavioral change related to physical activity were identified using a standard questionnaire. Sociodemographic data, body adiposity indexes and nutritional status were collected. The following were used for data analysis: chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, comparison of proportions and multivariable analysis using Poisson regression with a robust variance, being significant p≤0.05. RESULTS: Most students from Minas Gerais and Santa Catarina were in the preparation (32.8%) and maintenance (41.9%) stages. In both regions, adolescent girls presented a higher probability of a physically inactive behavior (SC: PR=1.25; 95%CI 1.04-1.50; MG: PR=1.53; 95%CI 1.29-1.80). Other risk groups were low weight adolescents from Santa Catarina (PR=1.39; 95%CI 1.06-1.81) and adolescents with excess body adiposity from Minas Gerais (PR=1.21; 95%CI 1.02-1.49). CCONCLUSIONS : Interventions to promote physical activity that consider the cultural and economic characteristics of each locality are recommended.
motor activity; adolescent; students; cross-sectional studies
