[Physical activity and sedentary lifestyle: family and socio-demographic determinants and their impact on adolescents' health].
OBJECTIVE
Estimating whether adolescents' sedentary behaviour and their lack of physical activity is determined by family characteristics or socio-cultural aspects and their impact on health and adiposity level.


METHODS
932 adolescents were surveyed. Information regarding physical activity, sedentary behaviour, anthropometric index and family characteristics (structure, dynamics and functioning) was estimated by adolescents answering a questionnaire.


RESULTS
The sample's average age was 16.07±1.09 years old, 56.3 % were female, 66.3 % had a low level of physical activity and 51.9 % were sedentary. A lack of physical activity occurred more frequently in females (56.8 % cf 41.5 %: p=0.000); family characteristics did not influence such risk behaviour. A relationship between physical activity and sedentary lifestyle with BMI could not be demonstrated, whilst waist circumference was associated with risky behaviour patterns. Teenagers in good health were more active (36.1 % cf 27 %) and less sedentary (49.3 % cf 59.4 %) than those for whom an unhealthy state was reported.


CONCLUSIONS
Sedentary behaviour and a lack of physical activity were more determined by socio-demographic factors than family aspects, such behaviour pattern having a direct influence on the adolescents' health.
Hospital General de México, Unidad de Investigación en Epidemiología Clínica, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Hospital de Especialidades, México.
Pilar
P
Lavielle-Sotomayor
Unidad de Medicina Familiar # 20, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, México, Distrito Federal, México.
Victoria
V
Pineda-Aquino
Unidad de Medicina Familiar # 20, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, México, Distrito Federal, México.
Omar
O
Jáuregui-Jiménez
Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades, Plantel Vallejo, UNAM, México, Distrito Federal, México, marthacastre@msn.com.
Martha
M
Castillo-Trejo
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000067697:Adolescent Health; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D009043:Motor Activity; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D012494:Sampling Studies; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055105:Waist Circumference; D055815:Young Adult