ADIPOSITY, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND PHYSICAL FITNESS AMONG ADOLESCENTS FROM TIRANA

Aida Shehu, Lindita Agolli

Abstract

Objective: The main purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between physical activity (PA) levels and adiposity. The secondary purpose was to assess the effect of physical fitness and living area on adiposity. Research Methods and Procedures: A cross-sectional study was carried out in a regional representative sample of 250 adolescents from 13 to 17 years of age, in 2019. Anthropometric and physical fitness values (including BMI, aerobic capacity, strength levels, velocity assessment, and flexibility) were measured in all adolescents. Results: Similar overweight prevalence was founded in boys (40%) and girls (45%) whereas significant differences were found in the corresponding obesity rates (15% vs. 12%, p < 0.05, boys and girls, respectively). 127 boys and girls were considered the physically active group, while the other 123 were considered non-physically active. When active and sedentary adolescents were compared, physically active boys showed a trend toward a slightly higher overweight and obesity prevalence than the non-physically active boys (35% vs. 29% and 9% vs. 4%, both p 3 0.09 to 0.10). Conversely, physically active girls had lower obesity rates than nonphysically active girls (8% vs. 11%, p < 0.05). Adolescents from the rural area showed similar overweight (34% vs. 28% and 36% vs. 32%, boys and girls, respectively) and obesity rates (6% vs. 8% and 10% vs. 9%, boys and girls, respectively) compared with their urban counterparts. Discussion: Regular participation in at least 2 hours per week of sports activities on top of the compulsory education program is associated with better physical fitness and lower whole-body adiposity. In the adolescents included in our study, among all physical fitness variables, VO2max showed the strongest relationship with BMI and fat mass assessed by means of skinfold measurements.

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