Existe associação entre nível de atividade física e composição corporal em adolescentes?

Abstract

The objectives of present study were (i) to test if there is an association and (ii) differen ce between the level of physical activity (LPA) and body composition of adolescents from public and private schools. A total of 84 adolescents (female: n = 52, 61.9% and males: n = 32, 38.1%), with a mean age o f 16.4 ± 0.8 years (female = 16.5 ± 0, 8 years and male 16.4 ± 0.8 years) regularly enrolled in a public an d private school in the municipality of Fortaleza/CE. NAF was quantified through the ap p lication o f t he physical activity questionnaire for adolescents. Subsequently data were obtained (body mass and height) to calculate the body mass index (BMI). The percentage of body fat (% BF) was estimated according to sex . The Pearson correlation test was used to verify association between the variables. For comparison between public and private school students, we used the differences of standardized means, co nfiden ce in terv al (90%), effect size and probability of differences. We did not find significant associations bet ween LPA and BMI (r = 0.033 to 0.214; p> 0.05) and LPA and % BF (r = - 0.19 to 0.310; p> 0.05). There were n o substantial differences between public and private school students for LPA and body co mpo sition. The lack of strong association between NAF and body composition points to the multifactorial character t hat per passes the relationship between these two variables in the young population. Additionally, studying in a public or private school does not seem to affect LPA and the body composition of adolescents