masterThesis
Prevalencia de actividad física y factores asociados en escolares entre 9 y 12 años
Autor
Carrascal Jacome, Gloria Cecilia
Institución
Resumen
Introduction: evaluating physical activity during school age allows us to determine its frequency and distribution and to identify the relationship between physical activity, health indicators, and sociodemographic and anthropometric factors associated with its practice. Objectives: to estimate the prevalence of physical activity in school children between 9 and 12 years old and the sociodemographic and anthropometric factors associated with its practice. Methodology: analytical transversal study, measured PA levels during the last seven days of the week and associated sociodemographic and anthropometric factors. It estimated the strength of association between PA, sociodemographic and anthropometric factors, calculating proportions of prevalence and 95% CI. Results: The study included 200 girls (87%) and 29 boys (13%) in school, mean age 10.36 years. Sedentary behaviour by sex showed a Prevalence Ratio 1.72 (excess risk for girls) for the association between time spent watching TV and level of physical activity. 86.5% of the girls and 89.7% of the boys in the study were age-appropriate, 13.5% of the girls and 10.3% of the boys were at risk for stunting and undersize for age; 33.3% of the 11 to 12 year olds were classified as overweight or obese and 25.0% as at risk for thinness and 41.7% as having age-appropriate BMIs. 29.5% of girls in this age group was classified as overweight or obese, 4.5% as thin, 10.2% as at risk of thinness, and 55.7% as age-appropriate. A statistically significant correlation was found for the variables length (p= 0.007) and weight (p= 0.010) with the level of AF. Seventy-two percent of the children evaluated were sedentary and only 27.5% were classified as active. There were statistically significant differences in AF performed by 9-10 year-old school children with 11-12 year-old children. Discussion: a very low percentage of boys and girls between 9 and 12 years old comply with the recommendations of daily PA practice, classifying as active 27.5% of the school children who participated in the study. The low levels of PA performed during free time indicate the need to implement programs that promote and encourage physical activity in boys and girls during free time and recreation. The average level of PA for schoolchildren between the ages of 9 and 10 was 2.8 and for the group between 11 and 12 it was 2.55.