Arquitetura de escolhas como estratégia para promoção da atividade física em adolescentes: um ensaio comunitário randomizado.

Abstract

The time spent on physical activity by adolescents in different countries is lower than recommended. Considering that the habit of physical inactivity tends to last throughout life and is also one of the main risk factors linked to several chronic diseases in adulthood, strategies have been elaborated with the objective of promoting physical activity. The time we allocate to physical activity is directly influenced by the physical environment we attend. In view of the above, the objective of this study was to verify the effect of an environment modification intervention to promote physical activity in school adolescents. It is a randomized controlled trial of school base with 7 state schools in the municipality of Duque de Caxias, metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro. The students in the 5th and 6th years of these schools participated in the study. The schools were randomized into two groups: one control group (3 schools) and one intervention group (4 schools). In the intervention schools, the environment was changed during school recess, aiming to increase physical activity in the return to class. Sports material was exposed to the students and demarcation of court for physical activity practice was done in intervention schools. The outcome variable was the time spent in physical activity during the week measured through a questionnaire validated for schoolchildren. Information was collected at the baseline at the beginning of the school year and at the end of the school year. Linear models of mixed effects were used to evaluate the effect of the intervention on the time spent in physical activity. A total of 975 children (56.7% boys) participated in the study, with a mean age of 11.52 (SD 1.43). In the 6th grade groups, boys in the intervention group had a greater chance of increasing the time spent on physical activity after intervention, with an OR: 1.45 (95% CI = 1.11 - 1.89) for boys compared to the control group. Among girls, this value was OR: 1.44 (95% CI = 1.06 - 1.97). In the 5th grade, the boys in the experimental group had a lower chance of increasing the time spent in physical activity than the control group: OR 0.56 (95% CI = 0.42-0.76); observed association. It was concluded that improving the conditions of the environment for promoting physical activity was effective for older adolescents. It is a simple and inexpensive strategy that should be better explored in future studies to promote the time spent on physical activity in schoolchildren. Future studies should assess what type of activity can be promoted for younger people.