Does it fit better? Measures of physical activity among adolescents in relation to health indicators

Abstract

Abstract Background Measuring physical activity (PA) is one of the pillars of successful health promotion; however, we struggle to find a tool enabling the identification of risk groups. The current standard approach of assessing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) every day does this inadequately. The aim of this study is to explore whether three other indicators of adolescents’ PA can identify such risk groups in a better way. Methods We used data on 888 11- to 15-year-old adolescents (mean age = 13.5, 56% boys) from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study conducted in 2018 in Slovakia. Sufficient PA was indicated by the following four indicators: (i) MVPA every day, (ii) MVPA 5–7 days a week, (iii) engagement in organized sports (team or individual) and (iv) combining MVPA 5–7 days a week and engagement in organized sports. We used binary logistic regression analysis to assess the association of various indicators of adolescents’ PA with body composition, cardiovascular fitness and self-rated health (SRH), considering age and gender. Results Being active based on various indicators was associated with better health outcomes, with the strongest associations for the indicator combining MVPA 5–7 days a week and engagement in organized sports. The only exceptions were the non-significant associations of active adolescents (being active 5–7 days per week or engaged in organized sports) with cardiovascular fitness and SRH. Conclusions Measuring PA using an indicator that combines MVPA 5–7 days a week and engagement in organized sports is the most valid using three health indicators as criteria.