Leisure Time Physical Inactivity and Sedentary Behaviour and Lifestyle Correlates among Students Aged 13-15 in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States, 2007-2013.

Karl Peltzer,Supa Pengpid

doi:10.3390/ijerph13020217

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between self-reported leisure time physical inactivity frequency and sedentary behaviour and lifestyle correlates among school children in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. The analysis included 30,284 school children aged 13–15 years from seven ASEAN countries that participated in the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) between 2007 and 2013. The measure asked about overall physical activity, walking or biking to school, and on time spent sitting. Overall, the prevalence of physical inactivity was 80.4%, ranging from 74.8% in Myanmar to 90.7% in Cambodia and sedentary behaviour 33.0%, ranging from 10.5% in Cambodia and Myanmar to 42.7% in Malaysia. In multivariate logistic regression, not walking or biking to school, not attending physical education classes, inadequate vegetable consumption and lack of protective factors (peer and parental or guardian support) were associated with physical inactivity, and older age (14 and 15 years old), coming from an upper middle income country, being overweight or obese, attending physical education classes, alcohol use, loneliness, peer support and lack of parental or guardian supervision were associated with sedentary behaviour. In boys, lower socioeconomic status (in the form of having experienced hunger) and coming from a low income or lower middle income country were additionally associated with physical inactivity, and in girls, higher socioeconomic status, not walking or biking to school and being bullied were additionally associated with sedentary behaviour. In conclusion, a very high prevalence of leisure physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour among school going adolescents in ASEAN was found and several factors identified that may inform physical activity promotion programmes in school-going adolescents in ASEAN.

Highlights

According to the World Health Organization [1],”In order to improve cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, bone health, and cardiovascular and metabolic health biomarkers: Children and youth aged 5–17 should accumulate at least 60 min of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily.” According to Hancock, Inchley and HBSC’s Physical Activity Focus Group [2], “Most state that adolescents should spend no more than 2 h per day engaging in sedentary screen-based activitiesInt
Exploring gender differences by study country, in four countries (Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam) the prevalence of physical inactivity was higher in girls than in boys, while there were no significant gender differences in Cambodia, Indonesia, and Philippines
Regarding country gender differences in terms of sedentary behaviour, the prevalence of sedentary behaviour was significantly higher in girls than boys in the Philippines, while this was the reverse in Myanmar

Summary

Introduction

According to the World Health Organization [1],”In order to improve cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, bone health, and cardiovascular and metabolic health biomarkers: Children and youth aged 5–17 should accumulate at least 60 min of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily.” According to Hancock, Inchley and HBSC’s Physical Activity Focus Group [2], “Most state that adolescents should spend no more than 2 h per day engaging in sedentary screen-based activitiesInt. Public Health 2016, 13, 217; doi:10.3390/ijerph13020217 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

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