Suzy L. Wong

Modifiable characteristics associated with sedentary behaviours among youth

OBJECTIVE Childhood overweight and obesity is a major public health issue. A better understanding of factors associated with sedentary behaviours would provide valuable insight for tailoring interventions to prevent or reduce overweight among youth. METHODS Data were collected from 25,416 grade 9 to 12 students attending 76 secondary schools in Ontario, Canada, using the Physical Activity Module of the School Health Action, Planning and Evaluation System (SHAPES). Sex specific multivariate logistic regression analyses were then used to examine how physical activity, BMI, social influences, and smoking behaviour were associated with screen time, time spent reading, and time spent on homework. RESULTS The average screen time per day was 2.7 (+/-1.7) hours, yet 48.1% of students reported spending less than one hour reading per week and 30.2% spent less than an hour of time on homework per week. Among males, being underweight (< or = 5% percentile BMI, adjusted for age and sex) was associated with more screen time (OR 1.23, 95%CI 1.01-1.50) and time spent reading (OR 1.19, 95%CI 1.00-1.43), whereas being at risk of overweight (> or = 85% percentile BMI, adjusted for age and sex) was associated with less time spent on homework (OR 0.75, 95%CI 0.65-0.85). Conversely, among females, being at risk of overweight was associated with more screen time (OR 1.24, 95%CI 1.10-1.41), and time spent reading (OR 1.19, 95%CI 1.05-1.35). Aside from BMI, other factors associated with sedentary behaviours included physical activity, parental encouragement and support for physical activity, close friend physical activity behaviour, and smoking status. DISCUSSION We found that students are highly involved in screen-based sedentary behaviours, but spend a limited time on more productive sedentary behaviours, like reading and homework. Developing a better understanding of sedentary behaviours is critical for preventing and reducing obesity among youth populations.

Integrating Research, Policy, and Practice in School-Based Physical Activity Prevention Programming: The School Health Action, Planning, and Evaluation System (SHAPES) Physical Activity Module

The School Health Action, Planning, and Evaluation System (SHAPES) is a data collection and feedback system designed to support population-based intervention planning, evaluation, and field research related to youth. The Physical Activity Module of SHAPES consists of: (a) a machine readable questionnaire to collect physical activity data from all students (grades 6 to 12) in a school, (b) a school administrator questionnaire to assess school policies, programs, and resources related to physical activity, and (c) a school-specific feedback report documenting student behavior and school programs and policies. This SHAPES module provides schools with feedback that enables them to take stock of patterns of activity and obesity within their school, recognize what is (and what is not) in place to support physical activity, and how to plan and evaluate their own prevention efforts. SHAPES enables researchers and stakeholders to identify what interventions work, in what contexts, with what students.

Susceptibility to Smoking and Its Association with Physical Activity, Bmi, and Weight Concerns Among Youth

Research has yet to examine how physical activity, body mass index (BMI) and concerns about weight among youth populations are associated with susceptibility to smoking among never smokers. The Physical Activity Module of the School Health Action, Planning and Evaluation System (SHAPES) was completed by 25,060 students in grades 9 to 12 within 76 secondary schools in Ontario (Canada) to examine how being overweight, weight concerns, and physical activity are associated with susceptibility to smoking in a large sample of youth. Among the 14,795 students who were never smokers, 3,809 (25.8%) were classified as susceptible to future smoking and 10,986 (74.2%) were classified as non-susceptible to future smoking. Smoking susceptibility was negatively associated with being highly active or at risk of overweight and positively associated with perceptions of being slightly overweight or slightly underweight. Students who report 1 or more hours of screen or phone time per day were also more likely to be susceptible. This is the first study to identify that susceptibility to future smoking among never smokers is associated with physical activity, overweight and concerns about weight. This is valuable new insight for tailoring and targeting future school-based tobacco control and/or physical activity programming to youth populations.