Original ArticlePhysical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Among Schoolchildren: A 34-Country Comparison
Section snippets
Methods
The Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) was designed to assess health behaviors among 13- to 15-year-old schoolchildren. This self-administered survey was developed in 2001 by the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with United Nations Childrens Fund, United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS, and with technical and financial assistance from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Results
The response rate across countries was 83.7%. The analytical sample size ranged from 792 (Saint Lucia) to 9,916 (United Arab Emirates). The percentage of 13- to 15-year-old respondents with valid information was relatively high for most countries, and only for Kenya and Zambia was this percentage below 80% (Table I).
The percentage of boys in the final sample ranged from 40.3% (Philippines) to 60.2% (Senegal). Mean age was lowest for the sample from Egypt (13.5 years) and highest for the samples
Discussion
Overall, only 23.8% of boys and 15.4% of girls in our sample met physical activity recommendations. Variations of physical activity levels across countries within regions were similar for all regions. The Health Behavior in school-aged children (HBSC) study, another international survey, has been undertaken in 41 countries across Europe and North America and used the same questions for the assessment of physical activity. Results from 2005/2006 showed a similar variability and prevalence of
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The authors declare no conflict of interest. The findings and conclusions in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the WHO or the CDC.