A Comparative Study of Participation in Physical Education Classes among 170,347 Adolescents from 54 Low-, Middle-, and High-Income Countries

Abstract

Given the need for comparative research on the participation of adolescents in physical education (PE) classes as a privileged space for physical activity (PA) promotion, this study sought to estimate, analyse and compare the prevalence of participation in PE classes among adolescents from 54 countries and to examine sex, age, country income and world regions disparities. Data from the Global Students Health Survey (2010–2015) were used, comprising 170,347 adolescents (90,305 girls, aged 13–17 years) from nationally representative samples of 54 countries—of which 7 are low-income, 23 lower-middle-income, 14 upper-middle-income and 10 high-income—and six world regions. The weighted percentages of adolescents participating in PE classes (never, 1–2 days/week, 3–4 days/week, 5 or more days/week) were estimated along 95% confidence intervals and compared across sex, age, country income, region, and country. Most adolescents reported to participate in PE on 1–2 days/week (55.2%), but almost 20% of adolescents reported never participating in PE. Girls, compared to boys, presented a lower prevalence for participating ≥5 days/week (girls 16.8%, boys 20.0%). The prevalence of participating in PE on ≥3 days/week was higher among adolescents aged 13–14 years when compared to adolescents aged 15–17 years (boys: 30.9% vs. 24.6%; girls: 26.1% vs. 18.2%). Concerning the countries’ income, the prevalence of never participating in PE was higher in high-income countries, and participating on ≥3 days/week was higher in low-income countries, but further research is recommended. The findings suggest that national, regional and worldwide data highlight the importance of improving participation in PE, particularly for girls and older adolescents. An improved and continued monitoring of PE policies and their actual implementation is needed worldwide.

Adolescents’ Perspectives on the Barriers and Facilitators of Physical Activity: An Updated Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies

“…Thus, the importance of some previous barriers and facilitators of PA in different geographical and cultural contexts (e.g., motivation, self-efficacy, friends support; PE) can be validated, as well as other variables more specific to the sociocultural contexts where adolescents lived. Since few studies have specifically focused on contrasting the perspectives of adolescents with diverse SES, ethnicity, urban/rural contexts, and low economy countries, in line with other suggestions [ 2 , 6 , 19 ], the need for further research at this level is reinforced. In addition to these recommendations, systematic reviews of the literature focusing on diverse populations (e.g., children, adolescents, university students) and study designs might be useful to advance knowledge in this area (e.g., [ 72 ]).…”

“…Such increase in explanatory power is essential as previous systematic reviews on the interventions’ effectiveness document limited evidence in increasing PA in key groups [ 15 ] and a very limited impact on overall PA [ 16 ]. Additionally, the focus on young people’s voices has been considered to be crucial since this might help further understand how the barriers and facilitators might be shaped by individual, social and environmental contexts [ 13 , 17 ], and therefore, to better inform meaningful PA intervention strategies in diverse contexts, such as in school, physical education (PE), sport clubs, active recreation, and active travel [ 5 , 18 , 19 , 20 ].…”

US School‐Based Physical Fitness Assessments and Data Dissemination

“…Most recently, a scientific statement from the American Heart Association emphasized the importance of regular assessments of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in children, and supporting school policies to improve CRF for the health and cognitive benefits 15 . School‐based fitness assessments have the potential to provide valuable evidence of physical fitness levels in children across various ages, school levels, and other socio‐demographic characteristics and, over time, in response to interventions or policy changes 16,17 . However, there is confusion regarding the use of these SB‐PFT data.…”

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

“…Current evidence suggests that PE provides many benefits and positive outcomes for students, such as higher PA levels, physical fitness, fundamental movement skills, and improved cognition [ 22 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 ]. One important component that has been explored in the literature is the time allocated to curriculum PE and the number of weekly PE classes [ 23 , 28 , 29 , 31 , 32 ]. In fact, higher levels of participation in PE classes have been consistently associated with the adoption of more favourable physical activity patterns [ 22 , 33 , 34 , 35 ].…”