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Objective: To analyze how the journalistic media has described the issues of quality of life (QoL), physical activity (PA) and mental health (MH) of adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This is a descriptive and qualitative study that used content analysis. Sixty-two journalistic publications were analyzed from a total of 8211 published by the most read newspapers in each Brazilian region between December 2019 and August 2021. Results: The results were grouped and evaluated in three categories: QoL (n=11), PA (n =9) and MH (n=42). In the analyzed period, the adolescents had more time of exposure to screens, contributing to an inadequate diet, a decrease in PA and impairments in QoL. According to the media publications, the pandemic has also contributed to an increase in anxiety, depression, loneliness and fear resulting from the mental and emotional disorganization caused by the abrupt change in routine. Social vulnerability was presented as an aggravating factor in this context. The journalistic media did not pay the necessary attention to adolescents regarding the negative consequences of the pandemic on QoL, PA and MH. Conclusions: The analyzed reports showed that the pandemic caused a decrease in social interaction, feelings of uncertainty, fear and the appearance/exacerbation of symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression. Social vulnerability was presented as another obstacle to be faced in this problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To determine whether biological and sociodemographic factors at birth and current factors are associated with insufficient physical activity during leisure among Brazilian adolescents. Methods: A school-based cross-sectional study with national coverage was conducted involving Brazilian adolescents 12 to 17 years of age in municipalities with more than 100 thousand residents. The sample consisted of 74,589 adolescents who participated in the Study of Cardiovascular Risk in Adolescents. Insufficient leisure-time physical activity was categorized based on total volume (<300 minutes/week = insufficiently active; >300 minutes/week = sufficiently active). Poisson regression models were used to assess associated factors. Results: Most adolescents were classified as insufficiently active (54.8%; 95%CI: 53.7–55.9). The variables associated with insufficient physical activity during leisure were the female sex (70.4%; 95%CI: 68.8–71.9), age between 15 and 17 years (57.8%; 95%CI: 56.3–59.2), pertaining to the low or middle class (54.5%; 95%CI: 52.8–56.1), and not being overweight (55.9%; 95%CI: 54.6–57.1). Conclusion: Contrary to our hypothesis, birth related factors (e.g., low birth weight, preterm birth and exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months of age) are not associated with physical inactivity. The prevalence of insufficient physical activity during leisure was high among the adolescents evaluated and was associated with sociodemographic characteristics as well as nutritional status. It is necessary to implement strategies focused on physical activity at schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]