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Background and Objective: Although smoking and the physical activity level (PAL) are important determinants of health status in adolescence, there is a lack of information on the relationship between smoking and PAL in early adolescence. The objective of this study was to evaluate the gender-specific relationship between smoking and PAL in 14-to-16-year-old adolescents. Materials and Methods: The sample included 650 adolescents (337 girls, 14.7 ± 0.5 years at first testing wave) from Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the first testing wave, participants were tested using structured questionnaires. Second testing was commenced after approximately 20 months (16.4 ± 0.6 years). The variables were age, gender, socioeconomic status, living environment, cigarette smoking (predictors), and PAL (criterion). Predictors were measured at the first wave, and criterion at the first-wave and second-wave. Results: For girls, smoking was negatively correlated to PAL at the first-wave (OR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.55–0.95) and at the second-wave (OR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.71–0.96). No significant association between smoking and PAL was found for boys. Results suggest that adolescent boys and girls do not follow the equal trajectories when it comes to relationships between smoking and PAL. Conclusions: In developing promotional public health actions related to a decrease of smoking and increase of PAL, a gender-specific approach is highly recommended. Further studies analyzing the cause–effect relationship between consumption of other types of psychoactive substances and PAL in this age group are warranted.
Dora Maric; Antonino Bianco; Ivan Kvesic; Damir Sekulic; Natasa Zenic. Analysis of the Relationship between Tobacco Smoking and Physical Activity in Adolescence: A Gender Specific Study. Medicina 2021, 57, 214 .
AMA StyleDora Maric, Antonino Bianco, Ivan Kvesic, Damir Sekulic, Natasa Zenic. Analysis of the Relationship between Tobacco Smoking and Physical Activity in Adolescence: A Gender Specific Study. Medicina. 2021; 57 (3):214.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDora Maric; Antonino Bianco; Ivan Kvesic; Damir Sekulic; Natasa Zenic. 2021. "Analysis of the Relationship between Tobacco Smoking and Physical Activity in Adolescence: A Gender Specific Study." Medicina 57, no. 3: 214.
Parental/familial factors are important determinants of the physical activity level (PAL) in children and adolescents, but studies rarely prospectively evaluate their relationships. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in physical activity levels among adolescents from Bosnia and Herzegovina over a two-year period and to determine parental/familial predictors of PAL in early adolescence. A total of 651 participants (50.3% females) were tested at baseline (beginning of high school education; 14 years old on average) and at follow-up (approximately 20 months later). The predictors included sociodemographic characteristics (age, gender) and parental/familial factors (socioeconomic status of the family, maternal and paternal education, conflict with parents, parental absence from home, parental questioning, and parental monitoring). Physical activity levels were evidenced by the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A; criterion). Boys were more active than girls, both at baseline (t-test = 3.09, p < 0.001) and at follow-up (t-test = 3.4, p < 0.001). Physical activity level decreased over the observed two-year period (t-test = 16.89, p < 0.001), especially in boys, which is probably a consequence of drop-out from the sport in this period. Logistic regression evidenced parental education as a positive predictor of physical activity level at baseline (OR [95%CI]; 1.38 [1.15–170], 1.35 [1.10–1.65]), and at follow-up (1.35 [1.11–1.69], 1.29 [1.09–1.59], for maternal and paternal education, respectively). Parents with a higher level of education are probably more informed about the importance of physical activity on health status, and thus transfer this information to their children as well. The age from 14 to 16 years is likely a critical period for maintaining physical activity levels in boys, while further studies of a younger age are necessary to evaluate the dynamics of changes in physical activity levels for girls. For maintaining physical activity levels in adolescence, special attention should be paid to children whose parents are less educated, and to inform them of the benefits of an appropriate physical activity level and its necessity for maintaining proper health and growth.
Dora Maric; Ivan Kvesic; Ivana Kujundzic Lujan; Antonino Bianco; Natasa Zenic; Vlatko Separovic; Admir Terzic; Sime Versic; Damir Sekulic. Parental and Familial Factors Influencing Physical Activity Levels in Early Adolescence: A Prospective Study. Healthcare 2020, 8, 532 .
AMA StyleDora Maric, Ivan Kvesic, Ivana Kujundzic Lujan, Antonino Bianco, Natasa Zenic, Vlatko Separovic, Admir Terzic, Sime Versic, Damir Sekulic. Parental and Familial Factors Influencing Physical Activity Levels in Early Adolescence: A Prospective Study. Healthcare. 2020; 8 (4):532.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDora Maric; Ivan Kvesic; Ivana Kujundzic Lujan; Antonino Bianco; Natasa Zenic; Vlatko Separovic; Admir Terzic; Sime Versic; Damir Sekulic. 2020. "Parental and Familial Factors Influencing Physical Activity Levels in Early Adolescence: A Prospective Study." Healthcare 8, no. 4: 532.
Background: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, global authorities have imposed rules of social distancing that directly influence overall physical activity in populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the trends of changes in physical-activity levels (PALs) in adolescents and factors that may be associated with PALs among the studied boys and girls. Methods: Participants in this prospective study comprised 388 adolescents (126 females; mean age: 16.4 ± 1.9 years) from southern Croatia who were tested at a baseline (before the imposed rules of social distancing) and at a follow-up measurement (three weeks after the initiation). Baseline testing included anthropometric variables, variables of fitness status (done at the beginning of the school year), and PALs. At the follow-up, participants were tested on PALs. PALs were evaluated over an online platform using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents. Results: A significant decrease of PALs was evidenced for the total sample (t-test = 3.46, p < 0.001), which was primarily influenced by a significant decrease of PALs in boys (t-test = 5.15, p < 0.001). The fitness status (jumping capacity, abdominal strength, aerobic endurance, and anaerobic endurance) was systematically positively correlated with PALs at the baseline and follow-up among boys and girls, with the most evident association between aerobic and anaerobic endurance capacities and PALs. Correlations between anthropometric and fitness variables with changes in physical activity (e.g., the difference between baseline and follow-up PALs) were negligible. Conclusions: Differences in PAL changes between genders were probably related to the fact that PALs among boys were mostly related to participation in organized sports. Correlations between baseline fitness status and PALs indicated the importance of overall physical literacy in preserving PALs in challenging circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic observed here.
Damir Sekulic; Mateo Blazevic; Barbara Gilic; Ivan Kvesic; Natasa Zenic. Prospective Analysis of Levels and Correlates of Physical Activity during COVID-19 Pandemic and Imposed Rules of Social Distancing; Gender Specific Study among Adolescents from Southern Croatia. Sustainability 2020, 12, 4072 .
AMA StyleDamir Sekulic, Mateo Blazevic, Barbara Gilic, Ivan Kvesic, Natasa Zenic. Prospective Analysis of Levels and Correlates of Physical Activity during COVID-19 Pandemic and Imposed Rules of Social Distancing; Gender Specific Study among Adolescents from Southern Croatia. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (10):4072.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDamir Sekulic; Mateo Blazevic; Barbara Gilic; Ivan Kvesic; Natasa Zenic. 2020. "Prospective Analysis of Levels and Correlates of Physical Activity during COVID-19 Pandemic and Imposed Rules of Social Distancing; Gender Specific Study among Adolescents from Southern Croatia." Sustainability 12, no. 10: 4072.