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Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors and Health-Related Quality of Life in Adolescents
Pediatrics, 07/11/2012
Gopinath B et al. – Regular physical activity over the long–term was associated with higher perceived health–related QoL among adolescents. Conversely, lower PedsQL scores were observed among those who spent the most time in screen–viewing activities. Improved understanding of these relationships could help in developing interventions to promote general well–being among adolescents.
Methods- Of 2353 children surveyed (median age: 12.7 years), 1216 were resurveyed 5 years later, and 475 were newly recruited into the study (N = 1691).
- Children completed detailed activity questionnaires.
- Health-related QoL was assessed by using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL).
- Cross-sectionally, after multivariable adjustment, adolescents in the highest versus lowest tertile of time spent in outdoor physical activity and television viewing had a higher (Ptrend = .001) and lower (Ptrend = .0003) total PedsQL score, respectively.
- Adolescents who remained in the highest tertiles compared with those in the lowest tertiles of total physical activity over the 5 years had significantly higher scores in the following areas: total (Ptrend = .04), physical summary (Ptrend = .0001), and social (Ptrend = .02) domains.
- Conversely, those in the highest versus lowest tertile of screen-viewing time during follow-up reported significantly lower values in the following areas: total score (6.34-unit difference), physical summary (4.86-unit difference), psychosocial summary (7.09-unit difference), and emotional (8.33-unit difference) and school (9.78-unit difference) domains.