An Overview of Physical Activity and Health Research in Nigeria: The Global Observatory for Physical Activity-GOPA!

To describe the evolution of physical activity (PA) and health research in Nigeria; examine types, designs, and topics of research conducted; and discuss future opportunities.

We conducted a secondary analysis of the Global Observatory for Physical Activity (GoPA!) data on PA research trends in Nigeria (1950-2020). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze study designs, research topics, and population demographics. Data were stratified by decade to illustrate changes over time.

We identified 85 PA and health articles from Nigeria from 1950 to 2020. The majority (87.1%) of the articles were published between 2011 and 2020. Approximately 90% were observational. Most studies targeted multiple age groups (75.9%), whereas research specifically on children (11.5%), adults (10.3%), and older adults (2.2%) was less frequent. Studies involving pregnant women represented only 2.5%. Key research themes included prevalence, measurement, and trends (34.1%); correlates and determinants (32.9%); and health consequences (24.5%). There was a notable lack of studies on interventions (7.1%) and policies (2.4%). Few studies explored the association between PA and environmental factors, and none was conducted with populations with physical disabilities. In addition, only 7% of studies utilized objective PA measurement tools. Between 2015 and 2020, Nigeria's contribution to global PA and health research grew from 0.24% to 0.36%.

Our findings may be used to benchmark the evolution of PA and health research in Nigeria and to inform areas for improvement to support comprehensive and effective public health strategies.