Temporal trends (2006-2019) regarding physical activity among adolescents living in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v82.119417Keywords:
Temporal trends , exercise, social determinants of health, adolescents, BrazilAbstract
Introduction: Continuous epidemiological monitoring is vital for health behavior analysis, yet remains deficient in low- and middle-income countries. Global instruments often lack local precision, necessitating context-specific, validated tools.
Objective: to estimate the prevalence and the factors associated with the practice of physical sports activities (PSA) among adolescents aged 14-15 years in the city of Rio de Janeiro in 2019, and investigate this temporal trend in 2006, 2014, and 2019.
Methodology: a cross-sectional study conducted with 1240 students in 2019. The questionnaire used to assess PSA was previously formulated and its reproducibility was validated in earlier studies between the years 2006 and 2014, enabling the assessment of temporal trends.
Results: PSA prevalence in 2019 was 47.2%, significantly associated with sex. While no overall difference was found between 2006 and 2019 (p>0.05), prevalence fluctuated significantly (p< 0.05) across the period: increasing from 2006 (50.8%) to 2014 (56.6%), followed by a reduction in 2019 (47.2%).
Discussion: Findings reveal a non-linear trend, where PSA peaked in 2014 before declining. Sex remained a consistent correlate across all periods, whereas socioeconomic status was associated with PSA only in 2006 and 2014.
Conclusions: PSA prevalence has significantly declined, returning to levels from over a decade ago. This downward trend, driven by persistent sex and socioeconomic disparities, demands urgent and targeted public policies to safeguard adolescent health and reverse this regression.
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Copyright (c) 2026 José Augusto Dalmonte Malacarne, Victor Gonçalves Corrêa Neto, Paula Guedes Cocate, Francine de Oliveira, Estêvão Rios Monteiro, Felipe Triani, Alexandre Palma

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