Physical activity patterns in normal-weight adolescents on week-days and week-ends

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Exercise Science
• Adolescent Health
• Public Health Nutrition

Background:

• Childhood and adolescent physical activity (PA) is crucial for long-term health.
• Established PA guidelines recommend at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) daily.
• Understanding day-to-day and week-end variability in PA is essential for effective public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the day-to-day variability of children's physical activity using accelerometers.
• To compare physical activity levels between weekdays and weekend days in adolescents.
• To determine the proportion of adolescents meeting established physical activity guidelines.

Main Methods:

• 104 Spanish adolescents (64 boys, 40 girls) wore uniaxial accelerometers for up to two weeks.
• Minute-by-minute physical activity data was collected over seven consecutive days each week.
• Analysis examined differences in PA intensity and duration by gender and day of the week.

Main Results:

• Boys exhibited significantly higher levels of moderate, vigorous, and MVPA compared to girls.
• Adolescents accumulated more physical activity on weekdays than on weekend days.
• The majority of adolescents did not meet the recommended ≥60 minutes of MVPA, with light activities dominating their PA.

Conclusions:

• Spanish adolescents demonstrate insufficient MVPA on both weekdays and weekends, with notable sex-based differences.
• Lower physical activity levels observed on weekends, particularly among girls, suggest a need for interventions outside of school hours.
• The findings underscore the importance of addressing sedentary behavior and promoting PA in adolescent populations, especially during leisure time.