Prevalence and Correlates of Meeting Physical Activity Guidelines Among Colombian Children and Adolescents
in Journal of Physical Activity and HealthClick name to view affiliation
Background: Global estimates have shown that a small proportion of children and adolescents are physically active. However, the evidence on physical activity (PA) among Colombian children and adolescents is limited. The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence and correlates of meeting PA guidelines among Colombian children and adolescents. Methods: Data were collected as part of the National Survey of Nutrition 2015. A national sample of 16,612 children and adolescents (3–17 y) was included. Prevalence estimates of meeting PA and active play guidelines were calculated, and Poisson regression models were conducted to identify correlates of PA. Results: Low proportion of Colombian children and adolescents met the PA guidelines. Low engagement in active play was observed among preschoolers. Correlates varied by age group. Female sex was a consistent negative correlate of meeting PA guidelines across all age groups. Conclusions: Urgent actions are needed to promote active play and PA among Colombian children and adolescents. The correlates identified in our study can help inform the development of actions to overcome the disparities and provide opportunities for children to achieve their full potential for healthy growth and development.
González, Chaput, and Tremblay are with the Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada. González is also with the School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada. Sarmiento is with the School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia. Katzmarzyk is with the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA. Camargo-Lemos is with the Physical Therapy School, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia.
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