LEVELS OF SEDENTARISM AMONG ADOLESCENTS IN THE CITY OF

CANOAS, RIO GRANDE DO SUL, BRAZIL

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Analyse the level of sedentarism among school adolescents from

an urban center in the South of Brazil.

METHODS: A transverse study was made. Its target population is formed by

public school adolescents on the 3rd year of high school. The data were
collected using a self applied questionnaire. The practice of phisical activities
was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaires – IPAQ
observing the levels: very active, active, irregularly active A, irregularly active B
and sedentary. In minutes, being classified as sedentary, the adolescent who
performed less than 300 minutes during the week. As statistical analysis, the
description of the adolescents data was made through simple and crusade
frequency tables. In order to verify the significative associations between the
variables related to the adolescents, Fisher's exact test and Chi square test
were applied with a 5% level of significance and power of 95%.

RESULTS: 293 adolescents answered the questionnaire. We can realize,

analysing the practice of physical activities, that there is difference using two
different cut-off scores. Observing the IPAQ in levels, the sedentarism was in
29,3%, but using it in minutes the percentage was 56,3%.

CONCLUSION: The conclusion shows that a large sector of the adolescents

are sedentary. Even when it was verified with two different cut-off scores.

Keywords: physical activity, non-communicable chronic diseases and physical

inactivity.
 THE BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AND THE RISKS OF
SEDENTARISM IN CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS, ADULTS AND ELDERLY
PEOPLE

ABSTRACT

This review aimed to investigate the benefits of the practice of physical

activities, and the risks of sedentarism in children, adolescents, adults and

elderly people. A review was made over the literature in the following database:

Medline/Pubmed, Scielo and Lilacs. Besides that, relevant articles were

searched within the reference of the ones which had been found.

According to the reviewed literature, in children and adolescents the

physical activity served as base to the adult life, because following the literature

data, healthy habits of regular practice of physical activity acquired during

childhood and adolescence seem to persist in adult life. For the adult, it serves

as prevention from non-communicable chronic diseases. On the other hand, in

elderly people the practice of physical activities assume the function of

maintenance of the daily life activities (DLA) and instrumental daily life activities

(IDLA).

Keywords: physical activity and health, physical activity in adolescence, in

adults and seniors, sedentarism.