Leisure time physical activity, self-rated health, unhealthy lifestyle-related habits and social factors of 11-13 year schoolchildren in the two secondary schools of Kaunas and Šakiai

Subject – the relationships between leisure-time physical activity, lifestyle-related habits and social factors of 11-13 year schoolchildren of Kaunas and Šakiai. Aim of the study: to assess the leisure time physical activity, self-rated health, unhealthy habits and social factors of 11-13 year schoolchildren in Kaunas and Šakiai two secondary schools. Hypothesis: physical activity of 11-13 years children is insufficient; passive leisure forms and different social aspects are associated with schoolchildren’s leisure-time physical activity. Objectives: 1. To determine leisure time physical activity of schoolchildren and its relationships with gender, age and place of residence. 2. To reveal the relationships between leisure-time physical activity, unhealthy lifestyle-related habits and self-rated health of schoolchildren. 3. To assess social factors importance to leisure-time physical activity of schoolchildren. 4. To analyze leisure-time physically activity of schoolchildren in relation to school environment. Sample and organization. Questionnaire survey was conducted in 2012 November – 2013 January in Kaunas city and Šakiai, on each trial using the questionnaire method. Total number of questionnaires was 356: 210 from Kaunas and 146 from Šakiai. Conclusions: 1. 71.9% of Kaunas city schoolchildren were physically active during leisure time whereas in Šakiai city – only 35.6%. The odds of adequate physically activity was 1.7 (95% CI 0.93-1.05) times higher for children from Kaunas. Only 58.3% of boys and 55.7% of girls were sufficiently physically active (p<0.05). Leisure-time physical activity decreased with increasing age (p<0.05). 2. Physically active schoolchildren more often assessed their health as good as compared to less active children (p<0.05). Children with good self-rated health were 1.4 times more likely to be physically active during leisure time as compared to physically passive ones (95% CI 1.15-1.83). 62.8% of physically active children assessed themselves as happy whereas only 30.2% - as unhappy (p<0.05). In contrary to insufficiently active ones, physically active children spend less time while watching TV or playing computer (p<0.05). Physically active children had less of unhealthy lifestyle habits as compared to active ones (p<0.05). 3. Higher number of friends was related to higher physical activity during leisure time. Boys, who indicated having to friends or more, were more physically active as compared to those who had less than two friends (p<0.05). More of sufficiently physically active respondents were living in full families (p<0.05). Physically active schoolchildren more often indicated better family relationships as compared to passive and less active ones (p<0.05). 4. Leisure-time physical activity of schoolchildren was related to relationships between teachers and children: positive assessment of teachers had a positive influence of schoolchildren’s physical activity during leisure time (p<0.05). 66.7% of physically active schoolchildren assessed their schools better as compared to insufficiently active children during leisure time (33.3%, p