title: Number of years of participation in some, but not all, types of physical activity during adolescence predicts level of physical activity in adulthood: Results from a 13-year study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adolescent physical activity (PA) levels track into adulthood. However it is not known if type of PA participated in during adolescence is associated with PA levels later in life. We aimed to identify natural groupings of types of PA and to assess whether number of years participating in these different groupings during adolescence is related to PA level in early adulthood.
  
  
  METHODS
  673 adolescents in Montreal, Canada, age 12-13 years at baseline (54% female), reported participation in 29 physical activities every 3 months over 5 years (1999-2005). They also reported their PA level at age 24 years (2011-12). PA groupings among the 29 physical activities were identified using factor analysis. The association between number of years participating in each grouping during adolescence and PA level at age 24 was estimated using linear regression within a general estimating equation framework.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three PA groupings were identified: "sports", "fitness and dance", and "running". There was a positive linear relationship between number of years participating in sports and running in adolescence and PA level at age 24 years (β (95% confidence interval) = 0.09 (0.04-0.15); 0.08 (0.01-0.15), respectively). There was no relationship between fitness and dance in adolescence and PA level at age 24.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The association between PA participation in adolescence and PA levels in young adulthood may be specific to certain PA types and to consistency of participation during adolescence. Results suggest that efforts to establish the habit of participation in sports and running in adolescence may promote higher PA levels in adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada. Mathieu.F.Belanger@usherbrooke.ca.|Centre de formation médicale du Nouveau-Brunswick, 18 rue Antonine Maillet, Pavillon J.-Raymond-Frenette, Moncton, NB E1A 3E9, Canada. Mathieu.F.Belanger@usherbrooke.ca.|Office of research services, Vitalité Health Network, Moncton, Canada. Mathieu.F.Belanger@usherbrooke.ca.
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bélanger
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. catherine.sabiston@utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Catherine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Sabiston
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, Université du Québec, Laval, Canada. tracie.barnett@gmail.com.|Centre de recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Canada. tracie.barnett@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tracie A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Barnett
authors.affiliation: Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, Canada. erin_oloughlin@hotmail.com.|Department of INDI & Exercise Science, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada. erin_oloughlin@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: O'Loughlin
authors.affiliation: Centre de formation médicale du Nouveau-Brunswick, 18 rue Antonine Maillet, Pavillon J.-Raymond-Frenette, Moncton, NB E1A 3E9, Canada. Stephanie.Ann.Ward@usherbrooke.ca.|Faculty of medicine and health sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada. Stephanie.Ann.Ward@usherbrooke.ca.
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.affiliation: Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, Canada. gisele.contreras@umontreal.ca.|Département of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada. gisele.contreras@umontreal.ca.
authors.forename: Gisèle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Contreras
authors.affiliation: Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, Canada. jennifer.oloughlin@umontreal.ca.|Département of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada. jennifer.oloughlin@umontreal.ca.|Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ), Montréal, Canada. jennifer.oloughlin@umontreal.ca.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: O'Loughlin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D002170:Canada; D002648:Child; D003615:Dancing / Q000523:psychology; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000523:psychology; D012420:Running / Q000523:psychology; D013177:Sports / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult