Association between individual and environmental variables of school context with adolescent’s cardiorespiratory fitness

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the present study was to identify the associations of individual and environmental variables of the school context with the adolescent cardiorespiratory fitness.

Methods: An associative study was carried out, with a quantitative and cross-sectional approach. A sample of high school students from the southern area of Porto Alegre/RS was selected. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed, a set of variables on active behavior and sports practices (individual variables) and the quantity and quality of the physical structure at school. Descriptive, variance and association statistics were performed. A significance level of 5% was considered for all analyzes.

Results: 236 adolescents (38.1% girls) participated in the study. The results indicated poor performance in the sixminute run / walk test in both sexes. The analysis of association showed that the categorical variable sex, participation in physical education, physical activity outside school and having a multi-sport court at school were associated with cardiorespiratory fitness (continuous).

Conclusion: The present study shows low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness in young people, suggesting the importance of the physical education class in high school, the school structure and the regular practice of physical activity in leisure time as important predictors of health.