Knowledge, attitude, and pattern of physical activity in middle school students in Isfahan, 2015

Vaezi, Atefeh; Heidari, Hesam; Farajzadegan, Ziba

Knowledge, attitude, and pattern of physical activity in middle school students in Isfahan, 2015

Authors

Department of Community and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

Background: The incidence of overweight and obesity in children has increased in recent decades. Physical activity (PA), which is a multidimensional behavior, has an important role in preventing and decreasing obesity. The aim of the study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and exercise habits of middle school students and also explore the differences regarding demographic variables in Isfahan, Iran. Materials and Methods: One thousand seven hundred and forty-one middle school students were studied in this cross-sectional study, in 2015, Isfahan. Knowledge, attitude, and pattern of PA were evaluated by a questionnaire. Data were described using central tendency and dispersion values, as well as t-test, Chi-square, ANOVA, and linear regression tests for further analysis. Results: Students living in Khour and Biabanak and Tiran got the highest and lowest scores in knowledge (mean ± standard deviation: 9 ± 1.32 and 6.7 ± 2.19, respectively). Education of the father is the only variable which was associated with the knowledge about PA after adjusting for other factors. About 62.5% of the students mentioned a good attitude toward PA. About 50% of the students said that they always and often do exercise. The most favorable exercise for all the students was walking. Conclusion: We provide the pattern of PA among middle school students of Isfahan province, which can be used to design evidence-informed policies and interventions that aim to increase PA in students.

Keywords

References

1.	Güngör NK. Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. J Clin Res Pediatr Endocrinol 2014;6:129-43.
2.	Pulgaron ER, Delamater AM. Obesity and type 2 diabetes in children: Epidemiology and treatment. Curr Diab Rep 2014;14:508.
3.	Seidell JC, Halberstadt J. The global burden of obesity and the challenges of prevention. Ann Nutr Metab 2015;66 Suppl 2:7-12.
4.	Mannan M, Mamun A, Doi S, Clavarino A. Prospective Associations between depression and obesity for adolescent males and females- A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. PLoS One 2016;11:e0157240.
5.	Pont SJ, Puhl R, Cook SR, Slusser W; Section On Obesity, Obesity Society. stigma experienced by children and adolescents with obesity. Pediatrics 2017;140. pii: e20173034.
6.	Khorrami Z, Yarahmadi S, Etemad K, Khodakarim S, Kameli ME, Hazaveh AR. Urban-rural differences in the prevalence of self-reported diabetes and its risk factors: The WHO STEPS Iranian noncommunicable disease risk factor surveillance in 2011. Iran J Med Sci 2017;42:481-7.
7.	Angoorani P, Heshmat R, Ejtahed HS, Motlagh ME, Ziaodini H, Taheri M, et al. The Association of parental obesity with physical activity and sedentary behaviors of their children: The CASPIAN-V study. J Pediatr (Rio J) 2018;94:410-8.
8.	Schwarzfischer P, Weber M, Gruszfeld D, Socha P, Luque V, Escribano J, et al. BMI and recommended levels of physical activity in school children. BMC Public Health 2017;17:595.
9.	Mitchell JA, Dowda M, Pate RR, Kordas K, Froberg K, Sardinha LB, et al. Physical activity and pediatric obesity: A quantile regression analysis. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2017;49:466-73.
10.	Fakhrzadeh H, Djalalinia S, Mirarefin M, Arefirad T, Asayesh H, Safiri S, et al. Prevalence of physical inactivity in Iran: A systematic review. J Cardiovasc Thorac Res 2016;8:92-7.
11.	Esteghamati A, Khalilzadeh O, Rashidi A, Kamgar M, Meysamie A, Abbasi M. Physical activity in Iran: Results of the third national surveillance of risk factors of non-communicable diseases (SuRFNCD-2007). J Phys Act Health 2011;8:27-35.
12.	Kelishadi R, Qorbani M, Djalalinia S, Sheidaei A, Rezaei F, Arefirad T, et al. Physical inactivity and associated factors in Iranian children and adolescents: The weight disorders survey of the CASPIAN-IV study. J Cardiovasc Thorac Res 2017;9:41-8.
13.	Trinh OT, Nguyen ND, Dibley MJ, Phongsavan P, Bauman AE. The prevalence and correlates of physical inactivity among adults in Ho Chi Minh City. BMC Public Health 2008;8:204.
14.	Dias DF, Loch MR, Ronque ER. Perceived barriers to leisure-time physical activity and associated factors in adolescents. Cien Saude Colet 2015;20:3339-50.
15.	Zhou Y, Wu J, Zhang S, Yan S, He L, Mkandawire N, et al. Prevalence and risk factors of physical inactivity among middle-aged and older Chinese in Shenzhen: A cross-sectional study. BMJ Open 2018;8:e019775.
16.	Millstein RA, Oreskovic NM, Quintiliani LM, James P, Intille S. The need for local, multidisciplinary collaborations to promote advances in physical activity research and policy change: The Creation of the Boston Physical Activity Resource Collaborative (BPARC). J Phys Act Res 2018;3:74-7.
17.	Djalalinia Sh, Tehrani FR, Afzali HM, Peykari N, Eftekhari MB. Community mobilization for youth health promotion: A lesson learned from Iran. Iran J Public Health 2012;41:55-62.
18.	Gidlow C, Johnston LH, Crone D, Ellis N, James D. A systematic review of the relationship between socio-economic position and physical activity. Health Edu J 2006;65:338-67.
19.	Scholes S, Bann D. Education-related disparities in reported physical activity during leisure-time, active transportation, and work among US adults: Repeated cross-sectional analysis from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 2007 to 2016. BMC Public Health 2018;18:926.
20.	El-Ammari A, El Kazdouh H, Bouftini S, El Fakir S, El Achhab Y. Level and potential social-ecological factors associated with physical inactivity and sedentary behavior among Moroccan school-age adolescents: A cross-sectional study. Environ Health Prev Med 2017;22:47.
21.	Paudel S, Subedi N, Mehata S. Physical activity level and associated factors among higher secondary school students in Banke, Nepal: A cross-sectional study. J Phys Act Health 2016;13:168-76.
22.	Cavill N, Bauman A. Changing the way people think about health-enhancing physical activity: Do mass media campaigns have a role? J Sports Sci 2004;22:771-90.
23.	Lathia N, Sandstrom GM, Mascolo C, Rentfrow PJ. Happier people live more active lives: Using smartphones to link happiness and physical activity. PLoS One 2017;12:e0160589.
24.	Richards J, Jiang X, Kelly P, Chau J, Bauman A, Ding D. Don't worry, be happy: Cross-sectional Associations between physical activity and happiness in 15 European countries. BMC Public Health 2015;15:53.
25.	Meyer OL, Castro-Schilo L, Aguilar-Gaxiola S. Determinants of mental health and self-rated health: A model of socioeconomic status, neighborhood safety, and physical activity. Am J Public Health 2014;104:1734-41.
26.	Michael SL, Coffield E, Lee SM, Fulton JE. Variety, enjoyment, and physical activity participation among high school students. J Phys Act Health 2016;13:223-30.
27.	Everett Jones S, Sliwa S. School Factors Associated with the percentage of students who walk or bike to school, school health policies and practices study, 2014. Prev Chronic Dis 2016;13:E63.
28.	Hovsepian S, Kelishadi R, Motlagh ME, Kasaeian A, Shafiee G, Arefirad T, et al. Level of physical activity and screen time among Iranian children and adolescents at the national and provincial level: The CASPIAN-IV study. Med J Islam Repub Iran 2016;30:422.

Advanced Biomedical Research