A van Biljon
Establishing profiles of physical activity (PA) is critical in tackling the chronic diseases associated with lack of PA and avoiding healthcare costs. This study investigated PA levels in urban-based South African (SA) primary school learners.Seven thousand, three hundred and forty-eight learners (3 867 males and 3 481 females) aged 8 - 14 years completed the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children. Learners were multiracial, including white (49%), black (39%) and other ethnic groups (12%). Differences in PA levels by ethnic origin and province were determined using an analysis of covariance after adjusting for gender (p<0.05). Bonferroni corrections controlled for multiple comparisons. A fitted regression model examined age-related differences in PA adjusting for province. Of SA learners aged 8 - 14 years, 57% (n=4 224) engaged in moderatelevels of PA. Thirty-one percent (n=2 247) did not meet international recommended amounts of moderate to vigorous physical activity. Overall, males reported higher PA levels than females (p<0.0001). PA levels declined with age from 11 to 14 years by 14% and 20% in males and females, respectively
