Insufficient physical activity among young people aged 5-18 years is a global public
health issue, with considerable disparities among countries. A systematic review was
conducted to identify studies reporting pedometer daily steps (steps x day(-1)) in
order to compile comparative, global cross-sectional data on youth physical activity
patterns.
Articles were included if they were in English, published by April 2009, and reported
steps x day(-1) for boys and girls, separately, and reported steps x day(-1) for age
groupings of no more than 4 years (e.g., 5-8 years) or combined no more than three
grade levels (e.g., third- to fifth-graders). Studies could have been intervention-based
but had to have reported baseline steps x day(-1), which would reflect unadulterated
physical activity steps x day(-1) estimates. Inverse variance weighted estimates (steps
x day(-1w)) were calculated for each country, and random effects models were estimated.
Analyses were conducted in May and June 2009.
Forty-three studies, representing young people in 13 countries (N=14,200), were included.
The majority of studies were from the U.S. (17/43). Overall, there was considerable
variation within and among countries in steps x day(-1w). Boys and girls from European
and Western Pacific regions had significantly more steps x day(-1w) than young people
from the U.S. and Canada. Significantly lower steps x day(-1w) estimates for girls
were observed for studies that combined measured steps x day(-1) for weekdays and
weekend days, in comparison to weekdays only.
Limited sample sizes and non-population-based data preclude definitive statements
regarding projected steps x day(-1) within countries. Nevertheless, these findings
provide preliminary information for policymakers and researchers on the extent of
the disparities among countries in the physical activity patterns of young people.
Copyright 2010 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc.
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