Active travel to school, BMI and participation in organised and non-organised physical activity among Portuguese adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the relationship between participation in organised (OPA) and non-organised physical activity (NOPA), commuting to school and BMI.


METHODS
Questionnaire assessing participation in OPA, NOPA, and travel behavior submitted in spring 2006 to 721 Portuguese secondary school students. Active travellers walked or biked (AT). Passive travellers drove or took the bus (PT). Height and weight were measured.


RESULTS
AT was related to NOPA among boys (odds ratio (OR)=1.8, p < or = 0.05) but not among girls. AT was unrelated to OPA. BMI was weakly associated with OPA (boys: OR=0.56, p < or = 0.05; girls: OR=0.54, p < or = 0.05) and not with NOPA.


CONCLUSIONS
After-school organised and non-organised physical activities do not predict active travelling to school among Portuguese adolescents.
Santos
Maria Paula
MP
Research Centre in Physical Activity Health and Leisure, Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Plácido Costa, 91, 4200 450 Porto, Portugal. msantos@fade.up.pt
Oliveira
José
J
Ribeiro
José Carlos
JC
Mota
Jorge
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011174:Portugal; D012574:Schools; D013177:Sports; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014186:Transportation / Q000379:methods*