Original Article
Relationship of sports participation for childhood and adolescent with physical activity and sedentary time in university students
2020 Volume 22 Issue 2 Pages 113-122
Details
2020 Volume 22 Issue 2 Pages 113-122
Objective: This study examined whether participation in organized sports during childhood and adolescence was associated with objectively-assessed physical activity (PA) and sedentary time in university students.
Methods: The participants were 36 male and 46 female university students. Participation in organized sports in preschool, primary school, junior high school, and high school was self-reported. Time spent in light PA, moderate PA (MPA), vigorous intensity PA and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and sedentary time were assessed with an accelerometer.
Results: For males, sports participation in the high school years was found to be significantly correlated with lower sedentary time in university students after adjusting for age, body mass index and MVPA (estimated mean values: 891.9 vs. 731.5 min/day, p=0.039). For females, sports participation in the junior high school years (estimated mean values: 62.8 vs. 83.5 min/day, p=0.007; 64.1 vs. 86.1 min/day, p=0.007) and high school years (estimated mean values: 68.6 vs. 83.3 min/day, p=0.029; 69.6 vs. 86.3 min/day, p=0.019) was found to be associated with significant higher MPA and MVPA in university students after adjusting for age, body mass index and sedentary time. On the other hand, sports participation in preschool and primary school did not predict any PA and sedentary time in university students.
Conclusion: The present study suggests that promoting sports participation in junior high school and high school for females and in high school for males may be associated with higher MPA and MVPA and lower sedentary time in university students, respectively.
