Association between family violence and physical activity in Brazilian adolescents: a quantile regression analysis

The study aims to assess the association between family physical violence and different domains of physical activity in students. Cross-sectional study with data from the National School Health Survey 2015. Physical activity was measured with a validated questionnaire and comprised the previous seven days. Physical activity domains investigated were commuting, leisure, physical education class, and total physical activity. Family physical violence was obtained with a question about exposure to physical aggression in the last month. Quantile regression analysis was performed to assess the association between exposure and outcomes, stratified by sex. Girls and boys exposed to family physical violence spent more time in commuting physical activity compared to those not exposed. Boys exposed to family physical violence spent less time in leisure physical activity compared to those not exposed, whereas girls exposed to violence spent more time in this activity than not exposed. For physical education class, exposed boys at the 80th percentile had more time for physical activity. For total physical activity, exposed girls had more time in this activity than unexposed girls. Associations were distinct for each physical activity domain by sex.