Habitual physical activity levels and health outcomes of Ontario youth

Physical activity, sport participation, attitude towards physical education, aerobic fitness, body composition and frequency of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) were investigated in 256 adolescents [mean age 14.3 (0.3) years] from the Niagara Region Public Schools in Canada. Subjects performed the 20-m shuttle run for prediction of aerobic fitness, and bioelectrical impedance analysis was used to assess relative body fat (%BF). Standardized questionnaires were used to determine physical activity-related variables and frequency of URTI. Males were more active, demonstrated higher shuttle run score, lower %BF and recorded fewer sickness days. In the complete cohort and in males, those who spent less time in sporting activities showed significantly (P<0.05) higher %BF, lower aerobic fitness and higher URTI frequency. Active females differed from hypoactive females only in %BF. Girls also showed significantly (P<0.05) less enjoyment of physical education than boys, which may explain their lack (P<0.05) of participation in sporting activities.