Sunday, January 13, 2013

who stops sports participation in adolescence?


Many youngsters stop engaging in sports during adolescence. In a study just published in e-pub in the European Journal of Public Health, with Dr. Rick Prins as first author, we explored who is more likely to stop doing sports in this age group. Data were obtained from the Environmental Determinants of Obesity in Rotterdam Schoolchildren (ENDORSE) study, and 357 adolescents were eligible for analysis. We looked at who were more likely to stop engaging in sports altogether, and who were more likely to reduce their sports activities so that they no longer comply to the recommendations to engage in vigorous physical activity to improve fitness for at least 3 time 20 minutes per week. 

Girls, lower-educated adolescents and those with a non-Western background showed more pronounced reductions in sports participation and compliance with the recommendation than boys, youngsters in forms of higher education, and native Dutch adolescents, respectively. Perceived neighborhood safety could partly explain the difference between girls and boys, indicating that one reason girls are more likely to reduce sports is related to feelings of (lack of) safety.

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