Objectively Measured Physical Activity Levels And Body Mass Index οf Secondary School Students In Central Greece: Differences Between Sex And Age

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine physical activity (PA) levels and body mass index (BMI) of secondary education students in central Greece and more specifically to determine the percentage of students that meet the criterion for participation in moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) for 60 minutes per day, body mass index (BMI) of participants and possible differences in PA and BMI due to sex and age. The sample consisted of 19 students and 21 female students (n=40) of a private school in Thessaly, aged 12-16 years (M age: 13.20 ± 1.24 years), who participated voluntarily and wore an accelerometer (Actigraph GT3X plus; Actigraph, Pensacola, FL) on their waist for at least three days of eight hours each day. Results showed that students had on average 87.19 ± 28.89 minutes / day in MVPA, 15.968, 42 ± 4.312,90 steps/ day and spent 492.24 ± 71.19 minutes / day in sedentary time activities. The 17.5% of participants did not meet the criterion of 60 minutes per day in MVPA, while 82.5% of students participated in MVPA for more than 60 minutes per day. Boys and younger age students (12-13 years) had higher levels of PA compared with girls and older age students (14-16 years), respectively. Also, 77.5% of participants had normal BMI and 22.5% of participants were overweight or obese. Finally, there were no significant differences in BMI z scores between sex and age. These results set a benchmark for further evaluation of students' PA and BMI in secondary education.