Acta Univ. Palacki. Olomuc., Gymn. 2011 41(2): 65-70 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2011.014

An analysis of school physical activity in adolescent girls

Petra Nováková Lokvencová1, Krzysztof Skalik2, Karel Frömel1, Krystyna Górna-Łukasik2
1 Faculty of Physical Culture, Palacky University, Olomouc
2 Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego w Katowicach

Background: It has been well evidenced that physical activity (PA) has a positive effect on human health. It is very likely that a physically active child will grow up to be a physically active adult. Growing older, there is evidence of decreasing PA in children and youth. In the period of adolescence, girls tend to be less physically active than boys and therefore they are understood to be a risk group in relation to PA.

Objective: The aim of the study was to characterize school related weekly PA in adolescent girls and to identify the influence of participation in Physical Education lessons (PE) on the structure of weekly PA.

Methods: The study was carried out using the Actigraph monitor and record sheets in a period of five school days and two weekend days.

Results: The results have shown that girls participating in two or more PE lessons show higher overall PA performed at school and also spend more time performing intensive PA at school than girls participating only in one or no PE lessons during the week. At school, the girls spent on average 10 minutes performing moderate PA (3.1 - 6 MET) and 0.6 minutes intensive PA (> 6 MET). The girls spent most of the time at school in being physically inactive, on average 125 minutes. When we compare these results with health recommendations (seven times a week 60 minutes of moderate PA and 3 times a week 20 minutes of intensive PA), we can argue that PA in adolescent girls really needs to be examined in research. Moreover, the results show that school and PA performed there (Physical Education lessons) still plays its irreplaceable role in the education system regarding the total level of PA and healthy lifestyle in adolescent girls.

Conclusions: The increase of total PA in adolescent girls can be secured by the increase in school-related PA (more PE lessons, introducing at least one physically active recess for 30 minutes during a school day, enhancing active transport to and from school) and by the increase of girls´ participation in organized PA outside of school and PA at weekends.

Keywords: Secondary school, Physical Education, monitoring of physical activity, girls

Prepublished online: December 31, 2011; Published: March 1, 2011  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Nováková Lokvencová, P., Skalik, K., Frömel, K., & Górna-Łukasik, K. (2011). An analysis of school physical activity in adolescent girls. Acta Universitatis Palackianae Olomucensis. Gymnica, 41(2), 65-70. doi: 10.5507/ag.2011.014
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Ainsworth, B. E., Haskell, W. L., Whitt, M. C, Irwin, M. L., Swartz, A. M., Strath, S. J., OʼBrien, W. L., Bassett, D. R. Jr., Schmitz, K. H., Emplaincourt, P. O., Jacobs, D. R. Jr., & Leon, A. S. (2000). Compendium of physi cal activities: An update of activity codes and MET intensities. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 32(9Suppl.), 498-504. Go to original source...
    2. Armstrong, N., Balding, J., Gentle, P., & Kirby, B. (1990). Patterns of physical activity among 11 to 16 year old British children. British Medical Journal, 301(6745), 203-205. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP). (2008). Youth risk behavior surveillance - United States, 2007. Surveillance Summaries. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 57(4), 1-36.
    4. Department of Health (DH). (2004). At least five times a week: Evidence of the impact of physical activity and its relationship to health [Online]. Retrieved 4. 4. 2010 from the the World Wide Web: http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_4080987.pdf.
    5. Duncan, E., Duncan, J. S., & Schofield, G. (2008). Pe do meter determined physical activity and active transport in girls. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 5(2). Retrieved 20. 3. 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/5/1/2. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    6. Frömel, K., Chmelík, F., Bláha, L., Feltlová, D., Fojtík, I., Horák, S. et al. (2007). Pohybová aktivita české mládeže: Koreláty intenzivní pohybové aktivity. Česká kinantropologie, 11(4), 49-55.
    7. Frömel, K., Novosad, J., & Svozil, Z. (1999). Pohybová aktivita a sportovní zájmy mládeže. Olomouc: Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci.
    8. Frömel, K., Stelzer, J., Groffik, D., & Ernest, J. (2008). Physical activity of children aged 6-8: The beginning of school attendance. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 23(1), 29-40. Go to original source...
    9. Chytil, J. (2006). Program PaTj2006 [Computer software]. Olomouc: Software Centrum.
    10. Goran, M. I., Reynolds, K. D., & Lindquist, C. H. (1999). Role of physical activity in the prevention of obesity in children. International Journal of Obesity, 23(3), 18-33. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    11. Kohl, H. W., Fulton, J. E., & Caspersen, C. J. (2000). Assessment of physical activity among children and adolescents: A review and synthesis. Preventive Medicine, 31(2Suppl.), 54-76. Go to original source...
    12. Kraut, A., Melamed, S., Gofer, D., & Froom, P. (2003). Effect of school age sports on leisure time physical activity in adults: The CORDIS study. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 35(12), 2038-2042. Go to original source...
    13. Loucaides, C. A., Jago, R., & Charalambous, I. (2009). Promoting physical activity during school break times: Piloting a simple, low cost intervention. Preventive Medicine, 48(4), 332-334. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    14. McKenzie, T. L. (1999). School health related physical activity programs: What do the data say? Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 70(1), 16-19. Go to original source...
    15. Morse, D. T. (1999). MINISIZE2: A computer program for determining effect size and minimum sample size for statistical significance for univariate, multi variate and nonparametric tests. Educational and Psychologi cal Measurement, 59(3), 518-531. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    16. Pate, R. R., Pratt, M., Blair, S. N., Haskell, W. L., Macera, C. A., Bouchard, C., Buchner, D., Ettinger, W., Heath, G. W., King, A. C., Kriska, A., Leon, A. S., Marcus, B. H., Morris, J., Paffenbarger, R. S., Patrick, K., Pollock, M. L., Rippe, J. M., Sallis, J., & Wilmore, J. H. (1995). Physical activity and public health: A recommendation from the Centers for Di sease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine. JAMA, 273(5), 402-407. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    17. Pate, R. R., Davis, M. G., Robinson, T. N., Stone, E. J., McKenzie, T. L., & Young, J. C. (2006). Promoting physical activity in children and youth. A leadership role for schools. Circulation, 114(11), 1202-1213. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    18. Presidentʼs Council on Physical Fitness & Sports (PCPFS). (2009). School physical education as a via ble change agent to increase youth physical ac tivity. Research digest, 10(2). Retrieved 20. 3. 2010 from the World Wide Web: http://www.fitness.gov/publications/digests/digest-june2009-508version.pdf.pdf.
    19. Riddoch, C. J., Andersen, L. B., Wedderkopp, N., Harro, M., Klasson-Heggebo, L., Sardinha, L. B., Cooper, A. R., & Ekelund, U. (2003). Physical activity levels and patterns of 9 and 15 year old European children. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 36(1), 86-92. Go to original source...
    20. Riley, J. G., & Jones, R. B. (2007). When girls and boys play: What research tells us. Childhood Education, 84(1), 38-44. Go to original source...
    21. Savela, S., Koistinen, P., Tilvis, R. S., Strandberg, A. Y., Pitkälä, K. H., Salomaa, V. V., Miettinen, T. A., & Strandberg, T. E. (2010). Leisure time physical activity, cardiovascular risk factors and mortality during a 34 year follow up in men. European Journal of Epidemiology, 25(9), 619-625. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    22. Sigmund, E., Croix, D. S. M., Miklánková, L., & Frömel, K. (2007). Physical activity patterns of kinder garten children in comparison to teenagers and young adults. European Journal of Public Health, 17(6), 646-651. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    23. Sigmund, E., Frömel, K., Sigmundová, D., & Sallis, J. F. (2003). Role školní tělesné výchovy a organizované pohybové aktivity v týdenní pohybové aktivitě adolescentů. Tělesná výchova a sport, 13(4), 6-9.
    24. Strong, W. B., Malina, R. M., Blimkie, C. J. R., Daniels, S. R., Dishmann, R. K., Gutin, B., Hergenroeder, A. C., Must, A., Nixon, P. A., Pivarnik, J. M., Rowlands, T., Trost, S., & Trudeau, F. (2005). Evidence based physical activity for school-age youth. The Journal of Pediatrics, 146(6), 732-737. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    25. Telama, R., Yang, X., Laakso, L., & Vijkari, J. (1997). Physical activity in childhood and adolescence as predictor of physical activity in young adulthood. Pre ventive Medicine, 13(4), 317-323. Go to original source...
    26. Treuth, M. S., Catellier, D. J., Schmitz, K. H., Pate, R. R., Elder, J. P., McMurray, R. G., Blew, R. M., Yang, S., & Webber, L. (2007). Weekend and weekday patterns of physical activity in overweight and normal weight adolescent girls. Obesity, 15(7), 1782-1788. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    27. Tudor-Locke, C., McClain, J. J., Hart, T. L., Sisson, S. B., & Washington, T. L. (2009). Expected values for pe dometer determined physical activity in youth. Re search Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 80(2), 164-174. Go to original source...
    28. United States Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS). (2008). Physical activity guidelines for Americans. Washington, DC: US Government Prin ting Office.
    29. United States Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS). (2010). Healthy people 2010 physical activity and fitness. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
    30. Verstraete, S. J. M., Cardon, G. M., De Clerq, D. L. R., & De Bourdeaudhuij, I. M. M. (2006). Increasing childrenʼs physical activity levels during recess periods in elementary schools: The effects of providing game equipment. European Journal of Public Health, 16(4), 415-419. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    31. Wickel, E. E., & Eisenmann, J. C. (2007). Contribution of youth sport to total daily physical activity among 6 to 12 year old boys. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 39(9), 1493-1500. Go to original source...

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content