Patterns of Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activities and daily Compliance with Guidelines for Youth

Abstract

Physical inactivity is a well-documented risk factor for coronary heart disease and it is associated with increased risk for several chronic diseases. Current health-related physical activity recommendations for youth call for at least 60 min·d-1 of moderate-to-vigorous physical activities (MVPA) daily as part of their lifestyle. The aim of this study was to compare the compliance among boys and girls with 60 minutes of Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activities (60MVPA) daily. A random sample of 210 (12-18 years) boys and girls was evaluated from Porto region. The following measurements were carried out: weight, height, Body Mass Index (BMI), and PA levels (accelerometers). The study was conducted during 7 consecutive days. Our results showed that there was a difference in the compliance of 60MVPA between boys and girls, in both weekdays and weekend days (p<0.05). The compliance with PA guidelines for girls ranged between 19.4% (Saturday) and 70.6% (Friday) while in boys the data ranged between 47.7% (Sunday) and 84.6% (Friday). However, only 15% of boys and 7% of girls accomplished the 60MVPA criteria everyday.