Affiliation:
1. Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, AIIH&PH, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
2. Department of Community Medicine, IQ City Medical College, Durgapur, West Bengal, India
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Background:
Regular physical activity is an important behavior for promoting health or preventing diseases. Poor participation in physical activity, especially in school-going children, has a multifactorial causation. Present study aimed to find out the proportion and determinants of insufficient physical activity among school-going adolescents at selected government high schools of Dumdum.
Methodology:
A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among school-going adolescent students of class VIII, IX, X, XI, XII in two selected government high schools of Dumdum municipality of North 24 Parganas. Complete enumeration method was used to select 199 participants. Students, who were absent during the day of the survey or were not willing to participate were excluded. A pre-designed pretested structured schedule was used to collect data. Data was analyzed using statistical software SPSS version 16.
Results:
Out of 199 students, 62.9% were aged 13--14 years with mean age 14.4 (±1.37). 54.3% were females. Only 22.1% do adequate physical activity, 59.8% participants have satisfactory attitude towards adequate physical activity practices. 42.2% participants were addicted to smartphone according to smartphone addiction scale (SAS). Physical activity was significantly associated with female gender (OR = 2.56. 95% CI = 1.28--5.11), unsatisfactory attitude (OR = 2.41, 95% CI = 1.13--5.10) towards PA practices, high smartphone addiction (OR = 2.57. 95% CI = 1.23--5.35), and more screen time (OR = 2.20, 95% CI = 1.11--4.37).
Conclusions:
Physical activities in the school environment have short-term as well as long-term benefits over health. Various factors act as a barrier to physical activity. PA promotion programs in the school setting is needed for disease-free and healthy life.