Environment factors associated with adolescents’ body mass index, physical activity and physical fitness in Kuching South City, Sarawak: a cross-sectional study
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Whye L. Cheah
,
Ching T. Chang
Abstract
This study examined the relationship between perceived built environment attributes and physical activity, physical fitness and body weight among adolescents aged 14–16 years in Sarawak. This was a cross-sectional study, using multi-stage sampling. A set of questionnaires consisting of socio-demographic information, a self-administered physical activity checklist and a Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale-Youth (NEWS-Y) was used. Body mass index (BMI) was measured and physical fitness was tested using a maximal multistage 20 m shuttle run test. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 17.0. A total of 316 respondents participated. The mean BMI for boys was almost equal to the mean BMI for girls. Only 7.9% of the sampled population was found to be overweight or obese. The overall mean duration spent per day on physical activity was 128.4 min (SD 118.43), with mean of 56.1 min (SD 73.94) after school time. Girls reported to spend longer each day taking physical activity before and during school. Boys were found to have significantly higher VO2max of 27.79±5.91 mL/kg/min as compared to girls (t=11.22, p<0.000). Based on comparison with other countries, the NEWS-Y scores indicated a mixture of low and high walkability neighborhoods. Respondents who had lower BMIs reported living in lower residential density areas and less risk of crime, and respondents who had better physical fitness reported less suitable infrastructure for walking. Promotion of exercise at all levels should be continuously encouraged as it would lead to improvement in the well-being of an individual.
©2012 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston
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Artikel in diesem Heft
- Masthead
- Masthead
- Editorial
- Community singing: what does that have to do with health?
- Review Articles
- Internet use, misuse, and addiction in adolescents: current issues and challenges
- Early executive function deficit in preterm children and its association with neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood: a literature review
- Original Articles
- Access to contraception and HIV testing among young women in a peri-urban district of Uganda
- Addressing the needs of adolescent mothers and their offspring in Nigeria: a community-based study
- Parental beliefs and knowledge about male human papillomavirus vaccination in the US: a survey of a pediatric clinic population
- Educating for the future: adolescent girls’ health and education in West Bengal, India
- Knowledge, attitude, and practice of cervical cancer screening among Greek students: a short report
- Environment factors associated with adolescents’ body mass index, physical activity and physical fitness in Kuching South City, Sarawak: a cross-sectional study
- Reading increases ocular illuminance during light treatment
- Sex-related perceptions associated with sexual activity status among Japanese adolescents who heavily use text messaging
- If I value myself, I value school: The protective effect of self-esteem among abused females
- The poverty puzzle: the surprising difference between wealthy and poor students for self-efficacy and academic achievement
- Exploring resilience: strengths of trafficking survivors in Cambodia
- Deliberate self-poisoning: a study from Nablus
