1 Département des sciences humaines, Université Sainte-Anne, Church Point, Nova Scotia, Canada.
2 PERFORM Centre, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
3 Center for Education Practice Research, University of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.
4 Propel Centre for Population Health Impact, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
5 Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
6 Department of Emergency Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Characteristics of Canadian Youth Adhering to Physical Activity and Screen Time Recommendations.

J Sch Nurs. 2019 Oct 20;:1059840519881185

Authors: Fitzpatrick C, Burkhalter R, Asbridge M

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to describe adherence to screen time (ST) and physical activity (PA) recommendations among Canadian youth. The present study was based on a representative sample of Canadian students from Grades 7 through 12 (N = 47,203). ST and PA as well as demographic (gender, ethnicity, grade, and province of residence) and individual (alcohol, tobacco and cannabis usage, school connectedness) correlates were self-reported by youth. In total, 49.2% (99% confidence interval [CI] = [46.3%, 52.2%]) of participants respected none of the recommendations, while 40.2% (99% CI [37.0%, 43.3%]) and 20.8% (99% CI [19.2%, 22.4%]) respected PA or ST recommendations, respectively. In terms of the correlates of health-related behavior, White ethnicity, alcohol use, and feeling more connected to school were positively correlated with adherence. Attending school in Quebec and smoking cannabis increased risk of poor compliance. The present findings may help the design of school-based health promotion strategies designed to increase PA and reduce ST.

PMID: 31630617 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]