Is nutritional status related with physical activity in italian adolescents?

Purpose: This study examined the relationship of age and gender with physical activity (PA) and how meeting of PA guidelines (PAGL) is related to nutritional status. Methods: Data were collected from 11, 13, and 15 years old students participating in the Italian HBSC survey 2005/2006. A self-completed questionnaire assessed weekly moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) for a week. The total number of valid questionnaire for this analysis is 3.872 (1232 of 11ys, 1319 of 13ys. and 1321 of 15ys). Results/findings: On the whole only 589 out of 3872 (15.2%) met the PAGL. None of the three age groups of adolescents averaged enough MVPA to meet PAGL. Even the pattern of MVPA across age and gender was consistent among all the adolescents. The older children were significantly less active when compared with the youngest children (P<0.001); girls were significantly less active than boys (P<0.001). Nutritional status was not significantly associated with the amount of reported MVPA and PAGL. Only 539 out of 589 reported complete data to calculate the nutritional status. Out of 539 adolescents, that reported at least one hour of PA every day a week, the obese group showed the higher prevalence (18.1%). Conclusions: In our sample levels of MVPA during dolescence showed consistent patterns in relation to age and gender. Nutritional status, age and gender not influenced how meeting of PAGL in Italian adolescents. Some studies, demonstrating low effect of age on PA in countries with low influence of social class, suggested a possible buffering effect of context in the habits acquisition during childhood.