title: Exercise and physical activity of adolescents.
abstract: Multiple studies point toward the beneficial role of regular exercise in preventing cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of physical activity and exercise among adolescents from the only high school in Cataño, Puerto Rico. An open-ended, multiple choice questionnaire was administered to 106 students who were randomly chosen. Questions included frequency of exercise, type of sports which they practiced and would like to practice. Results were statistically analyzed. The study revealed that 53% of the participants did not exercise regularly, exercising less than once a week. Those who did exercise were involved in a competitive team sport (35% of females: volleyball; 65.8% of males: basketball). Approximately 1/3 of the females and of the males replied they would like to practice noncompetitive sports which should be incorporated into their lifestyles through early intervention in the school, home and through the primary care physician.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Puerto Rico, School of Medicine, San Juan.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lugo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Calderón
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Visbal
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Martínez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D013177:Sports