Association of sports and physical activity with obesity among teenagers in Poland
Objectives The purpose of the study was to assess the relationship between the body mass index and sports and physical activities in an unbiased, simple, random sample of teenagers from mid-northeastern Poland. Material and Methods Children and adolescents aged 10–19 years old were surveyed. The In...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine
2018-12-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.journalssystem.com/ijomeh/Association-of-sport-and-physical-activity-with-obesity-among-teenagers-in-Poland,85059,0,2.html |
| Summary: | Objectives
The purpose of the study was to assess the relationship between the body mass index and sports and physical
activities in an unbiased, simple, random sample of teenagers from mid-northeastern Poland.
Material and Methods
Children and adolescents aged 10–19 years old were surveyed. The Internet-based survey was conducted to collect information
on physical activity, leisure time, studying hours, weight, and height.
Results
Obesity was found to be low in the
study population. The overall prevalence of overweight was not higher than 8%. Only 0.6% of participants were underweight.
Overall, 68% of them confirmed participating in sports. Boys were frequently more active than girls (> 70% boys
and > 60% girls). Participants mostly played soccer, volleyball, handball, or basketball (30.5%); 7% of them practiced
martial arts and 16.5% of them participated in swimming. Sports activity significantly influenced body mass index. Obesity
was not related to the lack of participation for physical activity in girls but a significant relationship was observed in boys
(p < 0.02). The risk of obesity or overweight for inactive teenagers increased 2-fold (p < 0.01).
Conclusions
We report the
overall participation of teenagers from 2 cities in mid-northeastern Poland in sports and physical activities and demonstrate
that the lack of statistically significant differences in the body mass index and obesity and overweight is prevalent among
boys and girls. Obesity was significantly related to less physical activity in boys, and the likelihood of obesity or overweight
increased in inactive teenagers. Thus, we suggest that the importance of overweight and obesity prevention programs
should be emphasized. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2018;31(6):771–782 |
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| ISSN: | 1232-1087 1896-494X |