Vicinity of Schools, But Not of Residences, Seems to Regulate Physical and Sports Activities of 13-Year-Old Teenagers in a South European Setting

Abstract

Background: Proximity to urban green spaces (UGS) and open sports spaces (OSS) benefits health, promotes physical activity (PA) and sports practice (SP). Objective: Analyse the association between PA or SP according to distances between UGS or OSS and teenagers’ residences or schools. Methods: We evaluated 1333 (53.9% girls) teenagers (13year-old) living and studying in Porto, Portugal (EPITeen cohort). PA was classified as light or moderate/vigorous. Distances were the shortest routes from residences or schools to UGS/OSS, and classified in: ≤250m; >250m to≤500m; >500m to≤750m; >750m. Chi-square test and chi-square for trends were used to compare proportions; associations were measured using logistic regression, through odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals, adjusting to BMI and parental education. Results: Regarding vicinity’ of schools, the prevalence of moderate/vigorous PA among boys, decreases as distances to OSS increases. For girls, the prevalence of sports decreases as distances to UGS increase. For boys, we found an association between moderate/vigorous PA and proximity to OSS in the vicinity of schools: considering ≤250m as reference, the odds of moderate/vigorous PA is 0.20(0.06-0.63) for >250m to≤500m; 0.21(0.07-0.61) for >500m to≤750m and 0.19(0.06- 0.58) for >750m. Conclusion: Vicinities of schools seem to influence teenagers to be more physical active and increase sports participation.