Participation in Physical Education Classes and Health-Related Behaviours among Adolescents from 67 Countries

Association Between Daily Physical Education Attendance and Meeting 24-Hour Movement Guidelines in Adolescence and Adulthood

PURPOSE

To investigate the relationship between participation in physical education lessons (PELs), i.e., minutes or frequency per week, and meeting the 24-hour movement guidelines (i.e., physical activity, screen time, and sleep duration) during adolescence (12-17 years old) and adulthood (33-39 years old).

METHODS

We analyzed data from individuals who participated in Waves I (1994-1995) and V (2016-2018) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. We determined total weekly minutes of PELs and PELs participation by asking how many days adolescents attended PELs in an average week at school, with three possible responses as follows: 0, 1-4, or 5 days/week. Movement behaviors were assessed through self-completed questionnaires in both waves.

RESULTS

Daily PELs participation during adolescence was related to higher odds of meeting five of more weekly sessions of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and all three guidelines in both sexes compared with adolescents who reported no days of PELs per week (men: incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.70, 95% CI 1.02-3.12; women: IRR = 3.81, 95% CI 1.65-8.77). Additionally, each additional weekly hour of PELs increased the likelihood of meeting all three recommendations (men: IRR = 1.11, 95% CI 1.05-1.35; women: IRR = 1.67, 95% CI 1.27-2.24). During adulthood, daily PELs was also related to a higher likelihood of meeting all three recommendations in both sexes (men: IRR = 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.07; women: IRR = 1.07, 95% CI 1.00-1.11). Each additional weekly hour of PELs increased the odds of meeting all three recommendations (men: IRR = 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.05; women: IRR = 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.06).

DISCUSSION

Daily PELs attendance was linked to healthy movement behaviors during adolescence, and these benefits could extend into adulthood.

Are more physical education classes related to less time in leisure-time sedentary behavior? An analysis including adolescents from 73 countries

This study aimed to verify the association between the weekly frequency of physical education (PE) classes and leisure sitting time among adolescents. We analyzed data from 73 countries using the Global School-based Student Health Survey (283,233 adolescents between 11 and 18 years of age). Leisure sitting time and weekly frequency of PE classes were self-reported. Sex, age, and food insecurity were used as covariates and the analyses were stratified by world regions and country income level. Poisson regression models (random-effects meta-analysis) were used for the main analyses. In comparison with 1 PE class per week (reference group), those with no PE classes presented a lower prevalence of ≥ 3 h/d of leisure sitting time (PR [95%CI] = 0.94 [0.91; 0.98]). On the other hand, adolescents with 2 days (PR [95%CI] = 1.06 [1.02; 1.26]), 3-4 days (PR [95%CI] = 1.17 [1.12; 1.22]), and 5 days (PR [95%CI] = 1.08 [1.04; 1.11]) of PE classes presented a higher likelihood of ≥ 3 h/d of leisure sitting time. No clear differences were observed for the different world regions and country income levels. We conclude that a higher weekly frequency of PE classes is associated with increased leisure sitting time among adolescents worldwide.

Increasing Physical Activity at School Improves Physical Fitness of Early Adolescents

(1) Introduction: Regular physical activity (PA) is an important part of a healthy lifestyle for children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of an increase in organized PA at school on the physical fitness (PF) of early adolescent boys and girls. (2) Methods: A total of 294 children born in 2007 took part in the study. The sample was divided into two groups: of increased PA at school (n = 140, girls n = 66, boys n = 74) and standard PA (n = 154, girls G n = 70, boys n = 84). Increased and standard PA levels consisted of 10 and 4 h of physical education lessons (PE) per week, respectively. PE consisted of team games and fitness exercises. Three of the Eurofit tests, core strength, long jump, and running speed, were used to measure PF. Tests were conducted in May 2018 and 2019, at an average age of a participant of 11 and 12 years, respectively. Descriptive statistics and cluster analysis were applied for analyzing the results. (3) Results: After one year of observation PF of children was improved in both groups (p < 0.001). However, it was greater in the increased PA group than in the standard one. A higher percentage of very good scores and lower of poor and very poor were noted in the increased PA group than the standard one (20.36% vs. 12.90%, p = 0.003 and 18.58% vs. 24.85%, p = 0.022, respectively). Boys obtained better results than girls (p = 0.003). Children achieved the best results in the shuttle run test, and the worst in the core strength. Children with normal body mass obtained better results than those with excessive ones. (4) Conclusions: Increasing the number of PE at school beneficially affects the fitness performance of early adolescents. To improve the health status of adolescents it is advisable to increase the number of compulsory PE lessons in the school curriculum.

Assessment of a Novel Instrument Measuring Perceived Physical Education Teachers' In-Class Skills

Physical Education (PE) teachers' professional and personal skills may not only affect the quality of the teaching-learning processes in PE, but also individuals' future active/inactive behaviors. The aim of this study is to examine the structure of a pool of items developed for measuring individuals' perception of such skills in PE teachers. Exploratory Factorial Analysis and a following structural modeling test on data collected from 660 participants suggest a two-factor structural model for the 10 items considered (χ² = 191.155; df = 34; CFI = 0.953, and SRMR = 0.0529), with good internal consistency for both factors (factor 1: alpha = 0.879; omega = 0.878; factor 2: alpha = 0.850, and omega = 0.858) and the overall instrument (alpha = 0.892; omega = 0.895). The final "Teachers' Personal and Professional Skills Questionnaire" is a valid instrument that may be used alone or in combination with other instruments for the analysis of the quality of teaching-learning processes in PE environments and its impact on individuals' behaviors regarding physical activity in their adult life.

Lifestyle Profiles and Their Sociodemographic Correlate in an Academic Community Sample

Promoting healthy behaviors throughout life is an essential prevention tool. Prior research showed that unhealthy behaviors tend to co-occur and interplay. However, which behaviors co-occur most frequently and which sociodemographic variables are associated with specific clusters of unhealthy behavior are still being determined. This study aimed to identify different lifestyle profiles and analyze their associations with sociodemographic factors in an Italian academic community to plan targeted initiatives to promote healthy lifestyles. A sample of 8715 adults from an Italian university (mean age = 26 years; range = 18-76; 30% male) participated in an online survey in 2019. Four health-related behaviors were evaluated: diet, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Lifestyle profiles were identified through cluster analysis. Then, a multinomial logistic regression was performed to explore the association among lifestyle profiles, sociodemographic variables (age, gender, and academic role), and body mass index (BMI). Results showed that older age was associated with the probability of belonging to the profile characterized by smoke addiction and regular alcohol consumption but also with the healthiest diet. The younger the age, the greater the probability of belonging to the most physically active profile. Men were more likely than women to belong to the lifestyle profile with the most regular alcohol consumption and the highest physical activity. Lower BMI was associated with the most physically active profile. This study shed light on factors associated with different co-occurring health-related behaviors that should be considered in planning effective communication strategies and preventive health interventions within the academic community.