Prevalence and correlates of meeting physical activity, screen time, and sleep duration guidelines among Brazilian adolescents: findings from ERICA

Abstract

The prevalence of meeting movement guidelines is low in developed countries; however, there is a lack of data among medium-income countries, including Brazil. We evaluated the prevalence and correlates of meeting physical activity, screen time, and sleep guidelines in Brazilian adolescents. Employing a cross-sectional design, Brazilian adolescents (aged 12–17 years) were surveyed about their physical activity levels, sleep, and screen time. Data were collected at schools through a self-administered questionnaire using a personal digital assistant for entering the data. Poisson regression models were used to examine the associations between correlates (sex, age, socioeconomic status, region, skin colour, and shift of school) and meeting movement guidelines. A total of 58 535 adolescents were included. Although only 8.7% of the adolescents met all three movement guidelines, the prevalence of those who met physical activity, screen time, and sleep duration guidelines was 46.4%, 42.5%, and 40%, respectively. Moreover, male sex, age 14–15 years, black or brown skin colour, afternoon shift of school, and living in the Northern and Northeastern regions were associated with a higher prevalence of meeting all movement guidelines. The prevalence of adolescents who met all three movement guidelines was low among Brazilian adolescents. Adolescents living in less developed regions showed greater adherence to movement guidelines, suggesting a possible impact of the urbanization process on these behaviours. Novelty: The prevalence of Brazilian adolescents who met all three movement behaviour guidelines was around 9%. Among all adolescents, 40% met only one movement guideline.