Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Obesity, Physical Activity, Computer Use, and TV Viewing in Portuguese Adolescents

2006; Human Kinetics; Volume: 18; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1123/pes.18.1.113

1543-2920

Jorge Mota, José Carlos Ribeiro, Maria Paula Santos, Helena Gomes,

Child Development and Digital Technology

This study aimed to examine the relationship between obesity status (body mass index: BMI) and physical and sedentary activities in adolescents. The sample comprised 230 girls and 220 boys (14.6 years old, SD = 1.6). Physical Activity (PA) was assessed by a questionnaire. Sedentary behaviors, such as TV viewing, computer use, and commuting to and from school were analyzed. Participants were categorized as nonobese or overweight/obese according to age-adapted BMI. No significant differences were found in relation to PA characteristics or in TV watching on weekdays vs. weekends. Nonobese participants spent significantly less time using computers on weekends ( p = .04) and weekdays ( p = .025) than their overweight/obese counterparts. Logistic regression analysis showed that those who used computers on weekdays more than 4 hrs per day were likely (odds ratio: 5.79; p < .003) to be overweight or obese. This study identified a relationship between computer use, but not physical activity or TV viewing, and weight status among Portuguese adolescents.