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Background: To analyze the associations among autonomous motivation, self-efficacy, satisfaction of basic psychological needs, social support and perceived environment with physical activity practice of adolescents aged between 12 and 15 years; and to test autonomous motivations and self-efficacy as potential mediators of the associations between these environmental factors and physical activity practice., Methods: We evaluated 553 adolescents, that participated in the ActTeens Program. Physical activity was assessed using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents. Autonomous motivation, self-efficacy, satisfaction of basic psychological needs, parents' social support and perceived environment were assessed using specifics questionnaires. Linear regression models were used to test the associations., Results: Parents' support (β = 0.32), satisfaction of basic psychological needs of colleagues (β = 0.21) and teachers (β = 0.12), and perceived environment (β = 0.10) had significant associations with physical activity (p < 0.05). The direct effect value was reduced when autonomous motivation was added as a mediator of the association between parents' support and physical activity (β = 0.24), with a 25% mediated effect. Autonomous motivation was mediator of the relationship between basic psychological needs of colleagues (β = 0.13; EM = 38%), teachers (β = 0.02; EM = 83%), and perceived environment (β = 0.03; EM = 70%) with physical activity., Conclusion: Self-efficacy was not associated with physical activity and autonomous motivation was an important mediator of adolescents' physical activity., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: To examine the associations between self-reported screen time and symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression in adolescents., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 982 adolescents aged between 12 and 15 years, enrolled in public schools in Jacarezinho (PR), Brazil. Screen time was assessed by the question "Considering a typical day, how much time do you spend watching TV, playing videogame, using computer or smartphone?" The DASS-21 questionnaire (short form) was used to assess symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Crude and adjusted analyses (age, sex, and maternal level of education) between screen time and mental disorders symptoms were performed using general linear regression models, with Poisson distribution, with significance level at p<0.05., Results: Higher depressive symptoms were observed in adolescents who reported screen time of 4-6 hours/day (PR 1.35, 95%CI 1.13-1.61) and ≥6 hours/day (PR 1.88, 95%CI 1.62-2.19), compared with their pairs with <2 hours/day. The same was observed for anxiety symptoms with screen time of 4-6 hours/day (PR 1.23, 95%CI 1.04-1.46) and ≥6 hours/day (PR 1.50, 95%CI 1.28-1.77); and stress, with 4-6 hours/day (PR 1.25, 95%CI 1.08-1.44) and ≥6 hours/day (PR 1.49, 95%CI 1.30-1.71), also compared with their pairs with <2 hours/day., Conclusions: Screen time was positively associated with depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms in adolescents. Special attention should be given to those who spend more than four hours a day in front of a screen.

Background: The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of the ActTeens Program on physical activity and health-related physical fitness among adolescents in Brazil., Methods: The "ActTeens Program" was conducted using a cluster-randomized controlled trial during 24-week school term. The sample consisted of 317 adolescents (52.7% girls; 13.61 ± 0.70 years) from four secondary schools that were randomly assigned to intervention group (N = 169) or control group (N = 148). This school-based physical activity (PA) intervention involved two components: (i) structured physical activity sessions delivered within physical education (PE) and (ii) healthy lifestyle guidance (mHealth). The primary outcome was PA assessed using Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A); secondary outcomes included muscular (MF) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) assessed using 90-push-up, handgrip dynamometer, standing long jump, and 20 m PACER shuttle run test. Assessments were conducted at baseline, 12- and 24-week. Intervention effects were assessed using linear mixed models (LMM)., Results: For the primary outcome (PA), no significant group-by-time effects were observed for physical education based-PA (0.3 score; 95%CI: -0.1; 0.6; and - 0.01 score; 95%CI: -0.03; 0.03, at 12-wk and 24-wk respectively) and total PA (-0.02 score; 95%CI: -0.2; 0.2; and - 0.01score; 95%CI: -0.2; 0.2, at 12 and 24 weeks respectively). After 24 weeks, we observed a significant group by time effects for lower body muscular fitness (12.9 cm; 95%CI, 3.2 to 22.2)., Conclusion: The implementation of aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises used in the ActTeens intervention did not lead to improvements in physical activity. The intervention resulted in improved lower body muscular fitness, however, we found no significant differences for upper body muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This trial aims to investigate the effects of the ActTeens physical activity program, on adolescents' physical activity level, health-related fitness, cardiometabolic and mental health. The trial will aim to recruit ~140 adolescents (aged 13-14 years). Participants will be randomized into either intervention or control groups. The intervention will be guided by social cognitive theory and self-determination theory and implemented over one school term (24-weeks). The ActTeens Program will include: (1) structured physical activity sessions delivered within physical education, including movement-based games and dynamic stretching warm-ups; resistance training skill development; high-intensity training workouts; and cool-downs; (2) self-monitoring plus goal setting for physical activity by pedometer-smart wearable; and (3) healthy lifestyle guidance (social support) by WhatsApp® messages about healthy eating and regular physical activity for the intervention and parents groups. Study outcomes will be assessed at baseline, 24-weeks from baseline, and 12-months from baseline. Physical activity (accelerometer) is the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes include muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness, cardiometabolic profile, and mental health. A process evaluation will be conducted (i.e., recruitment, retention, attendance, and program satisfaction). This project will have the potential to address many questions and debates regarding the implementation of physical activity interventions in low-and- middle-income countries. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05070377. Registered on 7 October 2021., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Objective: To compare the acute perceptive responses of different combined training methods in adolescents., Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 50 adolescents, insufficiently active, aged between 14 and 18 years (58% female). The adolescents performed 2 sessions in a randomized order: moderate-intensity continuous training + resistance training (MICT + RT) and high-intensity interval training + resistance training (HIIT + RT). The rating of perceived exertion, affect, and satisfaction were measured by self-report in 5 moments during the combined training (HIIT or MICT-moments 1, 2, and 3; RT-moments 4 and 5) and 10 minutes after the end of the session., Results: During HIIT, adolescents reported higher values of rating of perceived exertion compared to the MICT session at moments 2 and 3 in both sexes (P < .05). In addition, at moments 2 and 3 of the HIIT session, female participants were reported to have a higher value of satisfaction compared to MICT (F = 3.953; P = .005; η2 = .067)., Conclusion: During the execution of both HIIT + RT and MICT + RT protocols, adolescents showed an increase in the values of pleasure and satisfaction, regardless of sex.

Background: Studies have demonstrated the positive effects of physical activity on cardiovascular risk factors. Longitudinal studies using modeled trajectories are necessary to understand patterns of physical activity and association with cardiovascular risk factors. Objective: To analyze the association between sports practice in young people and current physical activity with the trajectory of cardiovascular risk factors in workers at a public hospital. Methods: Four hundred and seventeen workers was followed for four years reporting Physical Activity, health status, lifestyle behaviors and socio-demographic characteristics. Group-based trajectory modeling identified the trajectories of PA and associations with time-stable and time-varying covariates. We considered a range of sociodemographic and health and lifestyle factors as potential covariates. Results: The results shows the association between participation in sports activities in youth and current physical activity and trajectories of cardiovascular risk, adjusted for sex and age ( p < 0.05). Adults who reported having played sports in their youth and are currently active have a lower risk of having a history of obesity and low HDL-c than workers who did not play sports in their youth and are currently sedentary 0.690 (0.565-0.844) obesity, 0.647 (0.500-0.837) low HDL-c. Conclusion: The practice of sports in youth and current physical activity is a protective factor against the trajectory of obesity and low HDL-c, mainly in female workers. Programs to encourage the practice of physical activity should be carried out in order to reduce cardiovascular risk factors and prevent chronic diseases in workers., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Marques Elias, Ieker, Reis, Stabelini Neto, Sasaki, Lopes, Costa and Rinaldi.)

Background/objective: This study examined relationships between health-related physical fitness indicators and clustered cardiometabolic risk factors in adolescents between 2014 and 2017., Methods: The sample consisted of 93 students (60% girls), with complete data sets in both 2014 and 2017. The physical fitness components evaluated were: flexibility (s it and reach ), muscular fitness ( curl-up and push-up ), cardiorespiratory fitness ( progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run ), and body fat (BMI). The cardiometabolic risk factors were: waist circumference, blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides and fasting blood glucose. Z -scores were calculated for each risk factor, with the sum of risk factor z-scores values used to represent clustered cardiometabolic risk., Results: The results of cross-sectional analysis indicated that muscle fitness ( curl-up : β = -0.37, p  < 0.001; push-up: β = -0.38, p  < 0.005) and cardiorespiratory fitness (β = -0.56, p  < 0.001) were inversely associated with clustered cardiometabolic risk, with BMI positively associated (β = 0.58, p  < 0.001). In the longitudinal analysis, cardiorespiratory fitness (β = -0.33; p < 0.005) and body fat (β = 0.46, p < 0.001) demonstrated a significant association with clustered cardiometabolic risk. However, no significant associations between the health-related physical fitness and clustered cardiometabolic risk were observed after adjustment for baseline values., Conclusion: Our cross-sectional findings highlight the importance of health-related physical fitness indicators to adolescents. In regarding the longitudinal analysis, further studies are needed in order to clarify the influence of physical fitness in the adolescence and cardiometabolic risk later in life., (© 2020 The Society of Chinese Scholars on Exercise Physiology and Fitness. Published by Elsevier (Singapore) Pte Ltd.)

Purpose: To analyze the effects of 2 combined training methods on the cardiometabolic risk factors in adolescents., Methods: A total of 76 adolescents (16.1 [1.1] y, n = 44 female) were randomized into groups of moderate-intensity continuous training combined with resistance training (MICT + RT), high-intensity interval training combined with resistance training (HIIT + RT), or control. The training sessions were performed twice weekly for 12 weeks. The outcomes evaluated included body fat percentage, waist circumference, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, glycated hemoglobin, insulin resistance index, blood pressure, peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak), and cardiometabolic risk Z score., Results: The intervention groups presented a significant reduction in the cardiometabolic risk Z score after 12 weeks of the combined exercise program. In relation to the cardiometabolic risk Z score between groups, the HIIT + RT group presented a significant intervention effect when compared with the control group (Cohen d = 0.23; P < .05). Significant intervention effects were found when comparing the MICT + RT and control groups for body fat percentage, high-density lipoprotein, and VO2peak. Between the HIIT + RT and control groups, significant intervention effects were found for body fat percentage, blood pressure, and VO2peak. There were not significant differences between the HIIT + RT and MICT + RT groups., Conclusion: Twelve weeks of HIIT + RT and MICT + RT were effective in significantly reducing the cardiometabolic risk in these adolescents.

The purpose of the study was to examine the minimum number of monitoring days for reliably estimating physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) from accelerometer data in older adults. Forty-two older adults from a local senior centre participated in this study. Participants wore an ActiGraph wGT3X-BT on the right hip for 7 consecutive days. Accelerometer data were downloaded to a computer and converted to activity count data in 60s epochs. Time spent in SB and different PA intensity categories were estimated with commonly used activity count cut-points. Participants with at least 7 valid days of monitoring (≥10 h . day -1 ) were included in the analysis. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated for determining single-day monitoring reliability. The Spearman-Brown prophecy formula was used to estimate the minimum number of monitoring days required for achieving an ICC of 0.80. Single-day ICC values for time spent in SB and PA intensity categories ranged from 0.45 to 0.61. Minimum number of monitoring days required for achieving an ICC of 0.80 ranged from 2.5 to 4.9 days. In this study, a minimum of 5 consecutive days of monitoring was required for reliably estimating SB and PA from accelerometer data in older adults.

Objective: To analyze physical activity and sedentary behavior in preschool children during their stay at school and the associated factors., Methods: 370 preschoolers, aged 4 to 6 years, stratified according to gender, age and school region in the city of Londrina, PR, participated in the study. A questionnaire was applied to principals of preschools to analyze the school infrastructure and environment. Physical activity and sedentary behavior were estimated using accelerometers for five consecutive days during the children's stay at school. The odds ratio (OR) was estimated through binary logistic regression., Results: At school, regardless of age, preschoolers spend relatively more time in sedentary behaviors (89.6%-90.9%), followed by light (4.6%-7.6%), moderate (1.3%-3.0%) and vigorous (0.5%-2.3%) physical activity. The indoor recreation room (OR=0.20; 95%CI 0.05 to 0.83) and the playground (OR=0.08; 95%CI 0.00 to 0.80) protect four-year-old schoolchildren from highly sedentary behavior. An inverse association was found between the indoor recreation room and physical activity (OR=0.20; 95%CI 0.00 to 0.93) in five-year-old children. The indoor recreation room (OR=1.54; 95%CI 1.35 to 1.77), the playground (OR=2.82; 95%CI 1.14 to 6.96) and the recess (OR=1.54; 95%CI 1.35 to 1.77) are factors that increase the chance of six-year-old schoolchildren to be active., Conclusions: The school infrastructure and environment should be seen as strategies to promote physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior in preschool children., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2016 Sociedade de Pediatria de São Paulo. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.)

Background: Arterial hypertension is a major public health problem and has increased considerably in young individuals in past years. Thus, identifying factors associated with this condition is important to guide intervention strategies in this population., Objective: To determine high blood pressure prevalence and its associated factors in adolescents., Methods: A random sample of 1,242 students enrolled in public schools of the city of Curitiba (PR) was selected. Self-administered questionnaires provided family history of hypertension, daily energy expenditure, smoking habit, daily fat intake, and socioeconomic status. Waist circumference was measured following standardized procedures, and blood pressure was measured with appropriate cuffs in 2 consecutive days to confirm high blood pressure. Relative frequency and confidence interval (95%CI) indicated high blood pressure prevalence. Bivariate and multivariate analyses assessed the association of risk factors with high blood pressure., Results: The high blood pressure prevalence was 18.2% (95%CI 15.2-21.6). Individuals whose both parents had hypertension [odds ratio (OR), 2.22; 95%CI 1.28-3.85] and those with high waist circumference (OR, 2.1; 95%CI 1.34-3.28) had higher chances to develop high blood pressure., Conclusion: Positive family history of hypertension and high waist circumference were associated with high blood pressure in adolescents. These factors are important to guide future interventions in this population.

Background: The clustering of metabolic syndrome risk factors is inversely related to the amount of physical activity. However, the question remains as to how much daily physical activity is enough to prevent the onset of metabolic disorders in adolescents? Therefore, the objectives of this study were to associate the metabolic risk score with the moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and to identify the amount of daily physical activity to prevent the onset of the metabolic risk factors in Brazilian adolescents., Methods: The study involved 391 participants aged 10 to 18 years. Physical activity was measured by accelerometry. The counts obtained in the different activities were transformed into metabolic equivalents and classified as light (≥ 1.5 but < 3.0 METs), moderate (≥ 3.0 but < 6.0 METs) and vigorous (≥ 6.0 METs) activities. The continuous risk score for metabolic syndrome was calculated using the following risk factors: waist circumference, blood pressure, blood glucose, HDL-C and triglycerides., Results: Time spent in MVPA was inversely associated with the continuous risk score for metabolic syndrome (p < 0.05). Analysis of the ROC curve suggests that these adolescents must perform at least 88 minutes per day of MVPA., Conclusions: These findings reinforce previous evidence that physical activity relates to metabolic syndrome in adolescents. This population should be encouraged to gradually replace part of their sedentary time with physical activities.

Objective: To associate anthropometric measures with arterial hypertension and develop a mathematical model to estimate this probability., Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 3,445 adults of both sexes, between 18 and 60 years of age. Body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WHR), waist circumference (HC), in addition age and sex were assessed. Blood pressure (BP) was measured and classified according to World Health Organization (WHO) and Brazilian Society of Hypertension (SBH) recommendations, using frequency analyses, correlation and logistic regression between variables, with p < 0.05., Results: Males were twice as likely as woman to have hypertension, and for each year of life, the chance of hypertension increased 1.04 times. Odds ratio of hypertension in overweight individual increased two times, and in obese subjects, four times., Conclusion: Changes in body composition with advancing age, especially in men, were associated with hypertension, and assessment of these changes was relevant in the identification of this disease.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adolescents of different nutritional status., Subjects and Methods: The sample consisted of 582 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years. Body mass index (BMI) classification of nutritional status was performed using the NCHS growth charts. MetS diagnosis was determined by the presence of three or more risk factors., Results: Overall MetS prevalence was 6.7% (CI: 4.9%-9%); in boys, prevalence was 9.4%; and in girls, 4.1%. MetS prevalence was 17.2% (CI: 10%-28.2%) and 37.1% (CI: 23.2%-53.7%) in overweight and obese adolescents, respectively. All obese adolescents had at least one risk factor present, and demonstrated high MetS prevalence ratio compared with adolescents of normal weight (PR: 11.1; CI: 5.75-21.47)., Conclusion: High prevalence of MetS was observed in obese adolescents. Prevention strategies should focus on body weight control since the beginning of adolescence.

Background: In adults, there is a substantial body of evidence that physical inactivity or low cardiorespiratory fitness levels are strongly associated with the development of metabolic syndrome. Although this association has been studied extensively in adults, little is known regarding this association in adolescents. The aim of this study was to analyze the association between physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness levels with metabolic syndrome in Brazilian adolescents., Methods: A random sample of 223 girls (mean age, 14.4 ± 1.6 years) and 233 boys (mean age, 14.6 ± 1.6 years) was selected for the study. The level of physical activity was determined by the Bouchard three-day physical activity record. Cardiorespiratory fitness was estimated by the Leger 20-meter shuttle run test. The metabolic syndrome components assessed included waist circumference, blood pressure, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and fasting plasma glucose levels. Independent Student t-tests were used to assess gender differences. The associations between physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness with the presence of metabolic syndrome were calculated using logistic regression models adjusted for age and gender., Results: A high prevalence of metabolic syndrome was observed in inactive adolescents (males, 11.4%; females, 7.2%) and adolescents with low cardiorespiratory fitness levels (males, 13.9%; females, 8.6%). A significant relationship existed between metabolic syndrome and low cardiorespiratory fitness (OR, 3.0 [1.13-7.94])., Conclusion: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is high among adolescents who are inactive and those with low cardiorespiratory fitness. Prevention strategies for metabolic syndrome should concentrate on enhancing fitness levels early in life.

Background: Atherosclerosis is the coronary disease that most often affects the adult Brazilian population. Although it is a predominantly adult disease, the risk factors can appear in young individuals., Objective: To verify the association between the physical activity level (PAL) and the consumption of lipids with the risk factors for atherosclerosis in adolescents., Methods: A total of 260 boys and 237 girls aged 10-18 years were assessed. The PAL was estimated based on the activity record proposed by Bouchard et al. The consumption of lipids was assessed through the food frequency questionnaire developed by Sichieri and Everhart. Blood pressure was measured using a mercury-column sphygmomanometer. Total cholesterol (TC), HDL-c and triglycerides (TG) were measured by the enzymatic-colorimetric method. LDL-c was calculated by Friedewald's formula. The statistical analysis was carried out through logistic regression, with a level of significance set at p < 0.05., Results: Regarding the PAL, 17.3% of the boys and 22.6% of the girls were classified as sedentary. As for the diet, 54% and 48.6% of the boys and girls, respectively, presented a consumption of lipids above the recommended level. Boys with high TC and LDL-c levels had a higher OR to be sedentary than their more active peers. High levels of LDL-c were associated with the excessive consumption of saturated fats in both sexes., Conclusion: The results reinforce the previous evidence that young people must be encouraged since an early age to adopt a more physically active lifestyle, associated to more adequate dietary habits.

Background: Physical inactivity in adolescence is related to body fat accumulation, which apparently can increase the probability of onset and development of metabolic changes., Objective: To verify the predisposition to cardiovascular risk factors in adolescents with different levels of energy expenditure., Methods: A total of 108 young men and 132 young women aged between 12 and 16 years were selected. Daily energy expenditure was obtained using the questionnaire proposed by Bouchard et al. The sample was previously divided according to the quartiles of energy expenditure (Kcal/kg/day) into three groups: sedentary (SG), moderately active (MG), and active (AG). The enzyme-colorimetric method was used to determine the total cholesterol (TC), HDL-C, and triglycerides (TG) levels. LDL-C was calculated using the Friedewald et al's formula. The one-factor analysis of variance was used for statistical analysis, considering p<0.05., Results: For the male gender, significant differences were found between the groups for the TC variable (mg/dl); AG (121.56+/-19.15) was different from MG (142.70+/-27.65) and from SG (145.63+/-36.54). Likewise, MG was different from SG (F=3.70 and p=0.03). For the TG variable (mg/dl), AG (65.69+/-18.95) was different from MG (82.25+/-33.73) and from SG (97.44+/-45.95). Also, MG was different from SG (F=3.40 and p=0.04). For the female gender, no significant differences were found in relation to daily energy expenditure., Conclusion: More active young men show lower TC and TG levels in comparison with their moderately active and sedentary peers.

Previous research has demonstrated high prevalence of atherosclerotic risk factors in adolescents; however, the associate factors related to its onset are unclear. Therefore, the objective of this study was to relate inadequate blood pressure levels, total cholesterol (TC), HDL-C, LDL-C and triglycerides (TG) with different VO2máx and BMI levels in a sample of 249 adolescents, aged between 12 to 16 years old. For VO2máx prediction, the 20 meters test was used. The BMI was calculated using the body mass/heigh(2) equation. The considerate inadequate levels were: blood pressure > or =90th percentile; total cholesterol > or =150 mg/dL; LDL-C > or = 100 mg/dL, TG > or =100 mg/dL and HDL-C <45 mg/dL. Logistic regression was used as statistical procedures, with p<0.05. For the boys, significant associations were observed between the low VO2máx with TC (OR 4.33; IC=1.23-15.20) and TG (OR=4.88; IC=1.15-20.79) and between overweight and TG (OR=4.33; IC=1.42-13.21). After BMI correction, the males subjects with low VO2máx maintained their significant associations with TC (OR=5.73; IC=1.52-21.58) and TG (OR=3.81; IC=1.86-16.94). The evidences in this study suggested an inverse relationship of the cardiorespiratory fitness with TC and TG for boys, independently of the BMI.