Perception and reality - Portuguese adults' awareness of active lifestyle

Ageing, Leisure Time Physical Activity and Health in Europe

The goal of this article is to analyse leisure time physical activity (LTPA) and health-driven motivations to engage in such activity among elderly people in the European Union. We use as a base the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the theory of the correlation between physical activity according to individual factors (age, gender, socio-economic status) and contextual factors (habitat, community infrastructures, the model of the welfare state of the country of residence). Data are taken from Eurobarometer 88.4. The Generalized Structural Equation Model (GSEM) methodology was used, with the STATA program. The results show that 65.3% of EU citizens over the age of 60 engage in some form of LTPA, that 40.4% do so for health reasons, and that only 32.3% engage in LTPA that meets the minimum guidelines set by the WHO. In addition, there are large differences based on individual and contextual characteristics. The following group was found to be those who practice the most: men, with high socio-economic status, belonging to the middle and upper social classes, living in rural areas where there is infrastructure for physical activity, and above all, in the countries of the Nordic model of social welfare.

Relationship between Objectively and Subjectively Measured Physical Activity in Adolescents during and after COVID-19 Restrictions

Background: Studying the relationship between subjectively and objectively measured physical activity (PA) can provide viable information on youths’ behaviors. However, the restrictions due to COVID-19 pandemic, which reduced children’s possibilities to be active, may negatively affect it. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between subjectively and objectively measured PA levels (light, moderate, vigorous, and moderate-to-vigorous) during COVID-19-based restrictions and after they were lifted, and to determine whether such relationships changed in these two periods. Methods: A total of 26 adolescents (58% girls; mean age = 12.4 ± 0.5) wore accelerometers during public restrictions and after they were removed. Participants also completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire during the same periods. Results: High significant correlations were found at all levels of PA (r = 0.767–0.968) in both time periods, except for moderate PA during restrictions. Comparing the two periods, significantly higher correlations were found for moderate PA (p < 0.001) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (p = 0.003) after restrictions were lifted. Conclusions: In this highly active cohort of adolescents, results emphasize the potential threat of lockdown conditions for youths’ ability to accurately perceive their behaviors, with possible detrimental consequences on the short- and long-term health.

Gender Influences on Physical Activity Awareness of Adolescents and Their Parents

The imbalances between the actual physical activity (PA) of adolescents and the subjective perception both they and their parents have in this regard can play an important role in perpetuating inactive lifestyles. The aim of this study is to analyse these discrepancies by considering gender as a conditioning factor. The participants in the study were 1697 adolescents, 1244 mothers and 1052 fathers in the educational communities of 26 secondary schools located in urban environments of the Autonomous Community of Galicia (Spain). With regard to actual physical activity, a high prevalence of sedentarism (82.1%) was revealed, this being even more acute in girls (87.8%). However, the perceived levels of activity differed significantly from the actual ones with a clear general overestimation both by the adolescents and their parents. When further exploring the data, gender influences were also detected both in adolescent and parental perceptions, since the high rates of overestimation in sedentary individuals were lower in girls and, on the contrary, the low rates of underestimation in active individuals were higher in girls. Moreover, although the level of agreement between actual and perceived physical activity was low overall, with Cohen's kappa values ranging from 0.006 to 0.047, the lowest values were observed in the case of girls. In conclusion, both the adolescents and their parents were incapable of correctly assessing the actual physical activity of the former, so it seems that the general population lacks knowledge about the amount of physical activity that adolescents need to do to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Consequently, it would be advisable to implement health education campaigns and awareness-raising interventions directed to young people as well as to their parents and, in doing so, gender must be considered by establishing distinct program designs in terms of this variable.

Parental assessment of physical education in the school curriculum: A brief report on the influence of past experiences as students

The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between parents' past experience as Physical Education (PE) students and the importance they give to PE within the school curriculum. Parents of 1834 teenagers from Spain and Portugal participated in the study (1834 fathers and 1834 mothers). An 11 item questionnaire was used for data collection. The measures studied were: socio-demographic characteristics, parent´s past experience as PE students, and importance that parents gave to PE in the school curriculum. The results suggest that parents' past experiences as PE student condition their evaluation of the importance that PE should have in the school curriculum. As the past experience as PE student deteriorated and as age increased, there was an increase in the probability that parents evaluate PE as deserving a less important status in their children's curriculum. These findings can contribute to understanding how the parents' past experiences as PE students seem to partially model the value judgements that they make later in life regarding the importance of the subject.

Prevalence and Preferences of Self-Reported Physical Activity and Nonsedentary Behaviors in Portuguese Adults

BACKGROUND

This study describes levels of self-reported physical activity, frequency of selected opportunistic nonsedentary behaviors, and preferences of leisure-time activities in a representative sample of Portuguese adults, using data from a national survey on diet and activity behaviors (National Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, IAN-AF, 2015-2016).

METHODS

Participants were 3873 Portuguese adults (1827 men). They were interviewed face to face, and the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used. Regular leisure-time programmed activities, and 6 additional items, forming the activity choice index questionnaire, were used to assess 6 discrete nonsedentary behaviors.

RESULTS

Using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire categories, 42.3% of the sample were classified as low active, 30.6% as moderately active, and 27.1% as highly active. Walking, health/fitness activities, running, group gymnastics classes, swimming/pool activities, football/futsal, and cycling were the most popular leisure-time activities. Between 15% (parking further away from destinations) and 48% (using the stairs instead of elevators) of participants reported that they frequently adopted commonly recommended nonsedentary activities.

CONCLUSIONS

This study updates self-reported physical activity prevalence for Portugal adults, including older adults. In addition, it uniquely describes leisure-time activity preferences in the population and also the relative frequency of several nonsedentary activities of daily living.

The association between physical activity and chronic diseases in European adults

Chronic diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality and are considered to be at epidemic levels worldwide. This is a cross-sectional multi-country study based on data from the European Social Survey round 7, 2014, comprising 30,826 participants (14,813 men) with mean age 50.4 ± 18.0. Physical activity and chronic diseases were self-reported. Men and women who practiced physical activity more often had lower odds of having heart problems, breathing problems, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Engaged in physical activity 2-4 times/week and ≥5 times/week decrease the odds of having heart problems, high blood pressure, breathing problems, type 2 diabetes, and obesity, compared with men and women who engaged in physical activity 1 or less times per week. For the women, the practice of physical activity ≥5 times/week was significantly and negatively associated with having cancer, when compared with women who engaged in physical activity 1 or less times per week. Physical activity is associated with a lower risk of chronic diseases, in particular: heart problems, high blood pressure, breathing problems, allergies, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Furthermore, even small amounts of weekly physical activity seem to decrease the risk of chronic diseases.

Prevalence of physical activity in European adults - Compliance with the World Health Organization's physical activity guidelines

BACKGROUND

Adults are recommended to engage in at least 150 min/week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (PA).

PURPOSE

This study aimed to examine the level of compliance with PA recommendations among European adults.

METHODS

Using data from European Social Survey round 6, PA self-report data was collected from 52,936 European adults from 29 countries in 2012. Meeting PA guidelines was assessed using World Health Organization criteria.

RESULTS

61.47% (60.77% male, 62.05% female) of European adults reported to be engaged in moderate to vigorous PA at least 30 min on 5 or more days per week. The likelihood of achieving the PA recommended levels was higher among respondents older than 18-24. For those aged 45-64 years the likelihood increased 65% (OR=1.65, 95% CI: 1.51-1.82, p<0.001) and 112% (OR=2.12, 95% CI: 1.94-2.32, p<0.001) for males and females, respectively. Those who were high school graduates were more likely to report achieving the recommended PA levels than those with less than high school education (males: OR=1.19, 95% CI: 1.12-1.27, p<0.001; females: OR=1.13, 95% CI: 1.06-1.20, p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

Although about 60% of European adults reported achieving the recommended levels of PA, there is much room for improvement among European adults, particularly among relatively inactive subgroups.

Adolescents' physical activity trends over the years: a three-cohort study based on the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Portuguese survey

OBJECTIVE

Many young people do not practise enough physical activity (PA) to benefit their health. The three-cohort study aimed to investigate the prevalence of PA and understand the trends between 2002 and 2010, using a representative sample of Portuguese adolescents.

DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

The participants were 8483 adolescents (4067 boys, 4416 girls) who participated in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Portuguese survey in 2002, 2006 and 2010.

DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

A questionnaire was used to collect data of PA. Analyses were run separately for boys and girls.

RESULTS

Boys aged 15-17 reported practising 3.5±1.9 times a week in 2002, 3.9±1.9 times a week in 2006 and 3.8±1.9 times a week in 2010, with a significant increase from 2002 to 2006/2010 (p<0.05). PA practice during the past 7 days decreased from 4.2±2.1 to 3.9+1.9 between 2002 and 2006 (p<0.001) and also decreased from 4.4±2.1 to 3.8±1.9 between 2006 and 2010 (p<0.001). Among girls, PA practices during the past 7 days declined significantly from 3.5±1.9 to 2.7±1.7 between 2002 and 2006 (p<0.001), and from 3.3±1.9 to 2.9±1.7 between 2006 and 2010 (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The study points to age as a factor related to diminished PA participation. The study also revealed that the prevalence of PA has decreased over the years for the same age groups.