An exploratory analysis of active and low energy behaviour in Australian adolescents
Jessica K. Roydhouse A B E , Margaret Allman-Farinelli C , Kevin McGeechan B , Katia Ferrar D and Timothy Olds D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A CNRU Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
B Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
C School of Molecular Bioscience, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
D Health and Use of Time Group, Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: jessica.roydhouse@sydney.edu.au
Australian Journal of Primary Health 18(3) 248-257 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY11115
Submitted: 12 September 2011 Accepted: 14 October 2011 Published: 7 December 2011
Abstract
Adolescents engage in a complex range of low energy-consuming and active behaviours not easily captured by single behavioural measures. This study aims to describe the associations among adolescent active and low energy behaviours. Data were obtained from adolescents aged 12–16 years (n = 1532) participating in a nationally representative survey. Thirty-nine variables measuring activities were stratified by sex and age and then analysed using principal components analysis with Varimax rotation. Four components were derived for younger girls (21.7% of the variance) and younger boys (20.2%), six for older girls (29.7%) and five for older boys (25.6%). Academic-related behaviours positively correlated with each other and negatively with television use for all age–sex groups. Computer use correlated positively with academic-related behaviours for older boys but negatively with active behaviours for younger boys and girls. Active behaviours correlated positively with each other. For older girls, low energy expenditure, household-based behaviours were negatively correlated with active behaviours. Computer use appears to differ across age groups, and leisure and academic use should be differentiated. The positive associations among different active behaviours and their negative associations with home-based, low energy expenditure behaviours are of interest for intervention development.
Additional keywords: exercise, survey, use of time, youth.
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