Factors Related to Physical Activity in Adolescents Attending Schools

Introduction. Currently, there has been a significant decrease in physical activity in adolescents, which increases the risk of diseases with high morbidity and mortality. Therefore, this study seeks to understand the risk and protective factors related to physical activity. Objective. To determine the factors related to physical activity in adolescents between 13 and 17 years old attending educational centers in Santiago, Dominican Republic Methods. A descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational study of primary source was used to examine adolescents between 13 and 17 years old. A sample of 640 students was obtained by means of a sampling by conglomerate, where the schools were chosen first and after that, 9th to 12th grades were selected. Lastly, 10 students were picked in each classroom, in a three-month period between September and November 2017. Results. This research found that 24.6% of adolescents do not perform any physical activity on any day of the week and 16.9% do so according to World Health Organization recommendations. A statistically significant relationship was observed between sex (p = 0.000), grade (p = 0.002), school type (p = 0.000) and place of residence (p = 0.000). It was determined that males perform more physical activity (27.1%) than females. Students of 11th grade exercised more than the rest. Students from private schools have a higher percentage of physical activity than students from public schools. On the other hand, 28.2% did not perform more than 1 hour of sedentary activities and only 7.3% performed more than 8 hours a day. The sedentary behavior had a statistical significance for school level (p = 0.000), type of school (p = 0.000), and area of residence (p = 0.038). It was found that students in their second year of high school had a higher percentage for more than 8 hours of sedentary activities. Public schools and urban areas have less sedentary behavior. This study found that 50% of the adolescents who performed 7 days of physical activity have a best friend who performs physical activity. Conclusions. Physical activity among adolescents in Santiago is low. It was seen that physical activity and sedentary behavior have a significant relationship but are not opposite variables. It is recommended to perform more in-depth investigations and to do more observational studies to accurately measure physical activity of adolescents in schools. Key Words. Adolescents, Sedentary Lifestyle, Exercise, Physical Education.