Changes in Lifestyle Habits among Adolescent Girls after FitSpirit Participation

Karine Paiement, Vicky Drapeau, Jo-Anne Gilbert, Jean Lemoyne, Nicolas Moreau, Johana Monthuy-Blanc, Jonathan Tremblay, Valérie Marcil and Marie-Eve Mathieu
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Karine Paiement: École de Kinésiologie et des Sciences de L’activité Physique, Université de Montréal, 2100 boul. Édouard-Montpetit, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
Vicky Drapeau: Département D’éducation Physique, Université Laval, 2300 rue de la Terrasse, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
Jo-Anne Gilbert: École de Kinésiologie et des Sciences de L’activité Physique, Université de Montréal, 2100 boul. Édouard-Montpetit, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
Jean Lemoyne: Département des Sciences de L’act. Physique, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, 33351 boul. des Forges, Trois-Rivières, QC G8Z 4M3, Canada
Nicolas Moreau: School of Social Work, University of Ottawa, 120 University Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Johana Monthuy-Blanc: GR2TCA-Loricorps, Groupe de Recherche Transdisciplinaire des Troubles du Comportement Alimentaire, Département des Sciences de l’Éducation, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, 33351 boul. des Forges, Trois-Rivières, QC G8Z 4M3, Canada
Jonathan Tremblay: École de Kinésiologie et des Sciences de L’activité Physique, Université de Montréal, 2100 boul. Édouard-Montpetit, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
Valérie Marcil: Département de Nutrition, Université de Montréal, 2405 chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, QC H3T 1A8, Canada
Marie-Eve Mathieu: École de Kinésiologie et des Sciences de L’activité Physique, Université de Montréal, 2100 boul. Édouard-Montpetit, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 12, 1-14

Abstract: Adolescence is a crucial time in the development and maintenance of lifestyle habits. Interventions to improve health-related behaviors are important, including those that can contribute to an increase in physical activity (PA). During adolescence, PA typically decreases with age, particularly in girls. The FitSpirit program offers services that help Canadian schools from Quebec and Ontario implement PA interventions for adolescent girls. This study aimed to evaluate changes in participants’ PA levels and lifestyle habits (sedentary time, sleep duration and eating habits) and to assess whether these changes depended on adherence to the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines and Canada’s Food Guide recommendations at enrollment. At the time of FitSpirit registration (between December 2018 and March 2019) and in May/June 2019, 73 participants answered online questionnaires. The participants reported improvements, with an increase in the number of days with PA and a decrease in daily consumption of sweets. The greatest changes were observed in those who did not adhere to the Canadian recommendations before enrollment and who significantly increased their number of days with PA and their consumption of fruits and vegetables, and decreased their screen time. In conclusion, participation in FitSpirit improved several health behaviors among adolescent girls, particularly those who did not comply with the Canadian recommendations at enrollment.

Keywords: physical activity; school-based intervention; after-school programs; extracurricular programs; adolescence; adolescent girls; female; public health; health behaviors; lifestyle habits (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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