Social and Behavioural Correlates of High Physical Activity Levels among Aboriginal Adolescent Participants of the Next Generation: Youth Wellbeing Study

Rona Macniven (), Christopher D. McKay, Simon Graham, Lina Gubhaju, Robyn Williams, Anna Williamson, Grace Joshy, John Robert Evans, Robert Roseby, Bobby Porykali, Aryati Yashadhana, Rebecca Ivers and Sandra Eades
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Rona Macniven: School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
Christopher D. McKay: Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
Simon Graham: Department of Infectious Diseases, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
Lina Gubhaju: Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
Robyn Williams: Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
Anna Williamson: School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
Grace Joshy: National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, College of Health & Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
John Robert Evans: Moondani Toombadool Centre, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC 3122, Australia
Robert Roseby: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Monash Children’s Hospital, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
Bobby Porykali: Guuna-Maana (Heal) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program, The George Institute for Global Heath, Sydney, NSW 2042, Australia
Aryati Yashadhana: School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
Rebecca Ivers: School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
Sandra Eades: Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 4, 1-15

Abstract: Physical activity typically decreases during teenage years and has been identified as a health priority by Aboriginal adolescents. We examined associations between physical activity levels and sociodemographic, movement and health variables in the Aboriginal led ‘Next Generation: Youth Well-being (NextGen) Study’ of Aboriginal people aged 10–24 years from Central Australia, Western Australia and New South Wales. Baseline survey data collected by Aboriginal researchers and Aboriginal youth peer recruiters from 2018 to 2020 examined demographics and health-related behaviours. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) for engaging in high levels of physical activity in the past week (3–7 days; 0–2 days (ref), or ‘don’t remember’) associated with demographic and behavioural factors. Of 1170 adolescents, 524 (41.9%) had high levels of physical activity; 455 (36.4%) had low levels; 191 (15.3%) did not remember. Factors independently associated with higher odds of physical activity 3–7 days/week were low weekday recreational screen time [55.3% vs. 44.0%, OR 1.79 (1.16–2.76)], having non-smoking friends [50.4% vs. 25.0%, OR 2.27 (1.03–5.00)] and having fewer friends that drink alcohol [48.1% vs. 35.2%, OR 2.08 (1.05–4.14)]. Lower odds of high physical activity were independently associated with being female [40.2% vs. 50.9%, OR 0.57 (0.40–0.80)] and some findings differed by sex. The NextGen study provides evidence to inform the co-design and implementation of strategies to increase Aboriginal adolescent physical activity such as focusing on peer influences and co-occurring behaviours such as screen time.

Keywords: healthy lifestyle; exercise; screen time; peer influence; health priorities; demography (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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