ABSTRACT
Background/Objective: Exploring comprehensive information on the duration, pattern and context of physical activity and sedentary behaviour is important to develop effective policies and interventions. Especially in lower- and middle-income countries, our understanding of these health-behaviours is limited. Our study aimed to investigate physical activity and sedentary behaviour of female Indonesian adolescents by using a multi-method approach. Methods: Female adolescents (n = 5; 13-15 years old) from Yogyakarta, Indonesia wore accelerometers and automated wearable cameras for four days, and completed diaries, and interviews between February and March 2020. Results: Participants' activity, especially on non-school days, was dominated by light-intensity physical activity. Four of the 5 participants did not meet the physical activity guidelines. Participants spent a great proportion of time on screen-based sedentary behaviour (school days: 83.2% of wear time; non-school days: 75.7% of wear time). During school days, most physical activity and sedentary behaviour was done at school. Screen time was mainly done on the school day evenings and weekend mornings. Participants mostly used smartphones in the bedroom and living room in a solitary environment. Interviews suggest that the high amount of screen time seemed to be influenced by a lack of awareness of current guidelines, the feeling of urgency to check information, and the lack of parental supervision. Non-screen-based sedentary behaviour comprised just over 10% of total camera images. Conclusion: The use of a multi-method approach facilitated a rich understanding of the duration, patterns, and contexts of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in participants. Future studies might consider using similar methods in a larger sample.
ABSTRACT
Background: Previous physical activity and sedentary behaviour studies during the pandemic have largely utilized online surveys, with known limitations including recall bias. Employing both device-based and self-reported measurements may provide a more comprehensive picture of both behaviours. Physical activity and sedentary behaviour research in adolescents is still limited in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Indonesia. Male adolescents had been identified as more active than females but have had a greater decrease in physical activity during the pandemic. The present study aimed to investigate the quantity, temporal patterns, contexts, and biopsychosocial factors of physical activity and sedentary behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic in a small group of male Indonesian adolescents. Methods: Male adolescents (n = 5; 14-15 years old) from Yogyakarta wore accelerometers and automated wearable cameras for four days, and completed diaries and interviews in November 2020. Results: Participants' activity was dominated by light intensity (67% of all physical activity). Sedentary behaviour was high; accelerometer, school days: 456 ± 145 min (78 ± 10% of wear time), non-school days: 344 ± 160 min (79 ± 17% of wear time); camera, school days: 176 ± 101 min (81 ± 46% of wear time), non-school days: 210 ± 165 min (86 ± 67% of wear time). Sedentary behaviour was mainly done during school hours on school days and from late afternoon to evening on non-school days. Screen time was largely for leisure purposes and action games were most favoured. Smartphones were the most used device, mainly used in a solitary context in the bedroom. Non-screen-based sedentary behaviour was consistently low. Interviews suggested that during the pandemic, supporting factors for physical activity are: self-determination, enjoyment, parental support, and physical education; meanwhile, factors influencing screen time are: educational demands, device and internet availability, screen time opportunities, parental control, social facilitators, phone notifications, and emotional state. Conclusions: Most participants were not able to stay active during the pandemic. Using digital platforms may be beneficial to shift some screen-based sedentary behaviour to 'screen-based' or 'screen-prompted' physical activity. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s44167-022-00014-0.