Health risk behaviours amongst school adolescents: protocol for a mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: Determining risky behaviours of adolescents provides valuable information for designing appropriate intervention programmes for advancing adolescent's health. However, these behaviours are not fully addressed by researchers in a comprehensive approach. We report the protocol of a mixed methods study designed to investigate the health risk behaviours of Moroccan adolescents with the goal of identifying suitable strategies to address their health concerns. METHODS: We used a sequential two-phase explanatory mixed method study design. The approach begins with the collection of quantitative data, followed by the collection of qualitative data to explain and enrich the quantitative findings. In the first phase, the global school-based student health survey (GSHS) was administered to 800 students who were between 14 and 19 years of age. The second phase engaged adolescents, parents and teachers in focus groups and assessed education documents to explore the level of coverage of health education in the programme learnt in the middle school. To obtain opinions about strategies to reduce Moroccan adolescents' health risk behaviours, a nominal group technique will be used. DISCUSSION: The findings of this mixed methods sequential explanatory study provide insights into the risk behaviours that need to be considered if intervention programmes and preventive strategies are to be designed to promote adolescent's health in the Moroccan school.

Optimizing fitness in obesity: A program combining various exercise techniques.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity is linked to a potential decline in functional capacity and muscle strength, especially within weight-bearing joints. However, up to now, no study has managed to demonstrate a relationship between these factors that is sufficiently strong. AIM: This study aims to present a mixed physical activity regimen for obese individuals. METHODS: Data were gathered from 20 obese participants and 13 controls. The «obese¼ group had a BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m², while the «control¼ group had a BMI < 25.0 kg/m². The exercise program consisted of walking, running, and muscle stretching, with 2 sessions weekly. Training began at the fat oxidation threshold, gradually extending sessions. From the ninth session, the program alternated between fat and anaerobic threshold sessions, aiming for 4 periods of 12 minutes at the anaerobic threshold. RESULTS: Significant body composition changes were observed in obese individuals but not controls. Obese women lost 1.7±0.6 kg (p=0.006), while obese men lost 5.8±2.1 kg (p=0.02). Fat mass reduction was 2.6±0.6 kg (p<0.001) for women and 4.9±1.1 kg (p=0.003) for men. Exercise tolerance improved in obese subjects, reaching higher fat and anaerobic thresholds post-training. Performance increased by+14.3% (p=0.03) at the fat threshold and +12.1% at the anaerobic threshold (p=0.02), with minimal change in heart rate (3.9-4.3%, p>0.05). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates two outcomes: a tailored exercise regimen for obese individuals enhances body composition, surpassing prior studies. Additionally, the program elevates performance at fat and anaerobic thresholds, accompanied by slightly increased heart rates. This suggests improved fat oxidation capacity in obese individuals.