Association Between Participation in Physical Education Classes and Physical Activity Among 284,820 Adolescents: A Progressive Exposure Gradient Analysis.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the associations between participation in physical education (PE) classes and days with ≥60minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) using different reference categories for participation in PE. We used self-reported data from 284,820 adolescents. When no participation in PE was the reference, participation on 1 (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.15 [1.12-1.18]), 2 (PR = 1.24 [1.20-1.27]), 3 to 4 (PR = 1.32 [1.28-1.36]), and ≥5days per week (PR = 1.8 [1.33-1.43]) increased frequency of days of ≥60minutes of MVPA. Participating in PE on 2 (PR = 1.07 [1.02-1.09]), 3 to 4 (PR = 1.15 [1.12-1.18]), and ≥5days per week (PR = 1.18 [1.15-1.22]) increased the days of ≥60minutes of MVPA when participation in PE classes on 1days per week was the reference. When participation in PE on 2days per week was the reference, participation in PE classes on 3 to 4 (PR = 1.07 [1.04-1.09]) and ≥5days per week (PR = 1.12 [1.09-1.15]) increased the days of ≥60minutes of MVPA. Participating in PE classes on ≥5days per week increased the days of ≥60minutes of MVPA (PR = 1.05 [1.03-1.07]) when participation on 3 to 4days per week was the reference. For those with no participation in PE classes, the addition of any PE classes could positively impact the weekly frequency of days of ≥60minutes of MVPA. Even in countries/territories with large coverage of participation in PE classes, promoting more PE classes could be useful to increase physical activity.