Benefits and Environmental Determinants of Physical Activity in Children and Adolescents

Abstract

In this review, we identify the health benefits associated with physical activity (PA); address the physical activity and sedentary guidelines issued by public health scientists as well as children’s compliance to these guidelines; discuss the importance of motor skill acquisition during early childhood; and identify different settings that contribute to physical activity participation and strategies for improving PA in these settings. Results show that regular participation in PA during childhood has numerous immediate benefits, including positive changes in adiposity, skeletal health, psychological health, and cardiorespiratory fitness. Additionally, motor skill development during early childhood may have immediate health benefits as well as long-lasting effects in adulthood. Furthermore, the benefits of PA during childhood also appear to positively influence adult health outcomes, such as increased bone mineral density. Key environmental settings that have been shown to influence children’s PA behavior include child care, active commuting to and from school, school recess, school physical education, after-school programs, churches, medical settings, and the home environment. Recommendations for practitioners and researchers are discussed.

Biopsychosocial Benefits of Physical Activity in Children and Adolescents

“…Dünya Sağlık Örgütü (DSÖ) çocuklarda giderek artan pasif hareketler ve fiziksel aktivitedeki azalmanın önüne geçebilmek için, 2010 yılında yayınladığı "Sağlık İçin Global Fiziksel Aktivite Önerileri"nde, 5-17 yaşındaki çocuklar ve gençlerin günde en az 60 dakika orta ve yoğun şiddetli fiziksel aktivite yapmalarını önermiştir (WHO 2010). Aynı zamanda, Amerikan Pediatri Akademisi, çocuklar ve ergenler için TV izleme, bilgisayar kullanma, video oyunları ve telefon görüşmesi gibi pasif davranışların günde 2 saatten az olmasını önermektedir (Loprinzi et al 2012).…”

Decline in Physical Activity Among Iranian Girl Students Aged 10 to 16 and the Related Factors

“…Role models, adequate social support, and good environmental settings such as exercise services, tools, and having access to playgrounds and exercise clubs can encourage the youth to do RPA (40,44). In addition, for regular and continuing changes, multiple level interventions such as intrapersonal, interpersonal, community and public policy must be involved (45).…”

Trends in television and computer/videogame use and total screen time in high school students from Caruaru city, Pernambuco, Brazil: A repeated panel study between 2007 and 2012

“…Data were collected through the questionnaire entitled "Risk Behaviors in adolescents from Santa Catarina (COMCAP)", which has been previously validated and used on students from the Brazilian public school system 8,9,12 . The questionnaire was also applied in a pilot study with adolescents from Caruaru and achieved moderate to high reproducibility measures (0.62 -1.00).…”