Abstracts from the 17th Annual Scientific Conference of Montenegrin Sports Academy “Sport, Physical Activity and Health: Contemporary Perspectives”: Cavtat, Dubrovnik, Croatia. 2-5 April 2020

Abstract

Physical activity (PA) is a beneficial health behaviour. To present the worldwide, regional, and national prevalence of PA participation in adolescents. The study was based on surveys of adolescents’ population from several countries worldwide. The sample comprised 520,533 adolescents (251,788 boys, 268,745 girls), from 105 countries and regions. Most adolescents engaged in PA up to 3 times/week (57.1%). The prevalence of engaging in PA every day decreases over the age from 28.2% at age of 11-12 years (95% CI: 27.4, 29.0) to 21.2% at age of 16-17 years (95% CI: 20.3, 22.0) among boys, and from 19.4% (95% CI: 18.5, 20.2) to 11.1% (95% CI: 10.1, 12.0) among girls. For boys and girls who engaged in PA 5-6 times/day, the prevalence increases from countries with the lowest human development index to countries with the highest. Cambodia (7.3%, 95% CI: 3.8, 10.8), Philippines (7.7%, 95% CI: 5.6, 9.7), Sudan (8.8%, 95% CI: 4.7, 12.9), Timor-Leste (8.9%, 95% CI: 5.5, 12.3), and Afghanistan (10.1%, 95% CI: 6.1, 14.1) were the countries with the lowest prevalence of sufficient PA. National, regional and worldwide data on the prevalence of PA in adolescents highlights the importance of improving the global levels of PA, especially in girls.