Physical activity in Barbadian secondary school attenders - results from the Adolescent Health and Fitness study (AHFIT)

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To study the physical activity habits of adolescent school attenders in Barbados. DESIGN AND METHODS: Four hundred and sixty-two students, randomly selected by school class, attending four schools at different points of the "academic rank ladder", were invited to complete a knowledge, attitudes and practices questionnaire, to be measured, and to have blood drawn. RESULTS: Fifteen percent of these 10-18-year-old students, (males 8 percent, females 20 percent, p<0.001) did not participate in any form of physical activity on a regular basis. The males participated in cycling (54 percent), cricket (52 percent), jogging (50 percent) and football (45 percent), while the females participated in dancing (47 percent) and brisk walking (36 percent). Generally the males were more active than the females. Competing with the physical activity as leisure time activities were more sedentary activities like television viewing, computer and video games, while these adolescents had also experimented with alcohol (60 percent) and cigarettes (9.5 percent). CONCLUSIONS: The role for the health promotion team is clear to promote increased physical activity in adolescents, to discourage other inappropriate behaviour patterns, and to monitor the influence of adolescent physical activity habits on adult physical activity and ultimately adult disease.(Au)