The Relationship Between the Level of Physical Activity and Daily Life Habits of Adolescents

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the effect of daily lifestyle habits on physical activity level in adolescents. The research was carried out in Konya province, Meram Vocational and Technical Anatolian high school. The mean age of the participants was 16.44 +/- 1.89, the mean height was 167.45 +/- 8.56 and the mean body weight was 58.95 +/- 13.43. The physical activity levels of the subjects were monitored 7 days a week with a pedometer. The questionnaire developed by the researchers to determine daily life habits was used. In this study, <5000 steps were considered to be very weak, steps between 5001-7500 were weak, 7501-1000 were normal, 1001-12500 were good, and >12500 were very good. According to the findings of the study, the physical activity levels of the subjects were 9207.83 +/- 4295.30. Physical activity levels of children who went to school by school bus were determined as 9023,25 +/- 4122,33 and 9373,42 +/- 4452,18 of the subjects who went on foot. The results displayed no significant differences in their time spent on television and computer, dietary habits, how they go to school and intenseness of physical activities according to level of physical activity. As a result, in the adolescent age which development is the fastest, malnutrition and the excess of time spent on television and computer, negatively affect the level of physical activity. It can be said that the physical activity levels of adolescents who have made inactive life and malnutrition as a lifestyle are somewhat active.