RESEARCH

Early determinants of physical activity in adolescence: prospective birth cohort study

¹ Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Duque de Caxias 250 3º piso 96030-002 Pelotas-RS, Brazil
² MRC Childhood Nutrition Centre, Institute of Child Health, London
³ Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas; Institute of Psychology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

^* Correspondence to: prchallal{at}terra.com.br.

Objective To examine the effects of early social, anthropometric, and behavioural variables on physical activity in adolescence.

Design Prospective birth cohort study.

Setting Pelotas, southern Brazil.

Participants 4453 adolescents aged 10-12 years participating in the Pelotas 1993 birth cohort study (follow-up rate 87.5%).

Main outcome measures Sedentary lifestyle (<300 minutes of physical activity per week) and median physical activity score (minutes per week).

Results The prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle at age 10-12 years was 58.2% (95% confidence interval 56.7% to 59.7%). Risk factors for a sedentary lifestyle in adolescence were female sex, high family income at birth, high maternal education at birth, and low birth order. Weight gain variables at ages 0-1, 1-4, and 4-11 years and overweight at age 1 or 4 years were not significant predictors of physical activity. Levels of physical activity at age 4 years, based on maternal report, were inversely related to a sedentary lifestyle at age 10-12 years.

Conclusions Physical activity in adolescence does not seem to be programmed by physiological factors in infancy. A positive association between birth order and activity may be due to greater intensity of play in childhood and adolescence. Tracking of physical activity from age 4 to 10-12 years, however, suggests that genetic factors or early habit formation may be important.