Tracking of Physical Activity, Sport Participation, and Sedentary Behaviors over Four Years of High School

Lovro Štefan, Marjeta Mišigoj-Duraković, Antonela Devrnja, Hrvoje Podnar, Vilko Petrić and Maroje Sorić
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Lovro Štefan: Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Horvaćanski zavoj 15, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
Marjeta Mišigoj-Duraković: Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Horvaćanski zavoj 15, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
Antonela Devrnja: Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Horvaćanski zavoj 15, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
Hrvoje Podnar: Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Horvaćanski zavoj 15, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
Vilko Petrić: The Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Rijeka, 51 000 Rijeka, Croatia
Maroje Sorić: Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Horvaćanski zavoj 15, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 9, 1-13

Abstract: Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate the extent of tracking of physical activity (PA), sports participation (SP), and sedentary behaviors (SB) over four years of high school education among the Croatian Physical Activity in Adolescence Longitudinal Study (CRO-PALS) cohort. Methods: In this investigation, participants were 844 high school students (15.6 years at baseline; 49% girls). The SHAPES questionnaire was used to assess PA, SP, and SB at ages 15, 16, 17, and 18 and tracking was assessed using generalized estimating equations. Results: Tracking coefficients for PA were similar in both sexes, ranged from 0.49 to 0.61, and indicated moderate tracking, while the tracking of SB tended to be somewhat higher over the four years of follow-up (β = 0.60–0.72). Youth that participated in sports at baseline had a 16 to 28 times higher odds of continued participation at follow-up, depending on the type of sport and gender. Finally, both low physical activity and high screen time showed strong tracking in both genders. Conclusion: PA and SB tracked moderately between ages 15 and 18. Moreover, the strong tracking of low PA and high screen time indicates that the detection of these risk factors at the beginning of high school should be advocated.

Keywords: longitudinal analysis; adolescence; sitting-time; physical inactivity; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:9:p:3104-:d:166827

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