An analysis of school physical activity in adolescent girls

Abstract

Background: It has been well evidenced that physical activity (PA) has a positive effect on human health. It is very likely that a physically active child will grow up to be a physically active adult. Growing older, there is evidence of decreasing PA in children and youth. In the period of adolescence, girls tend to be less physically active than boys and therefore they are understood to be a risk group in relation to PA. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to characterize school related weekly PA in adolescent girls and to identify the influence of participation in physical education lessons (PE) on the structure of weekly PA. METHODS: The study was carried out using the ActiGraph monitor and record sheets in a period of five school days and two weekend days. RESULTS: The results have shown that girls participating in two or more PE lessons show higher overall PA performed at school and also spend more time performing intensive PA at school than girls participating only in one or no PE lessons during the week. At school, the girls spent on average 10 minutes performing moderate PA (3.1-6 MET) and 0.6 minutes intensive PA (> 6 MET).The girls spent most of the time at school in being physically inactive, on average 125 minutes. When we compare these results with health recommendations (seven times a week 60 minutes of moderate PA and 3 times a week 20 minutes of intensive PA),we can argue that PA in adolescent girls really needs to be examined in research. Moreover, the results show that school and PA performed there (physical education lessons) still plays its irreplaceable role in the education system regarding the total level of PA and healthy lifestyle in adolescent girls. CONCLUSIONS: The increase of total PA in adolescent girls can be secured by the increase in school related PA (more PE lessons, introducing at least one physically active recess for 30 minutes during a school day, enhancing active transport to and from school) and by the increase of girls' participation in organized PA outside of school and PA at weekends.