The Prevalence of Physical Activity and Sedentary Lifestyle among Adolescents in Palestine

Introduction Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior have been considered the most contributing predisposing factors for many chronic diseases. Regular Physical activity has the potential to attenuate the health and economic burden that Physical inactivity places on Palestinian society. Objective The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of physical activity in Palestinian adolescents and to identify associated socio-demographic and behavioral variables. Methods This data is part of the 2011 descriptive cross-sectional study used the Global School-Based Health Survey in Palestine. The sample was 720 adolescents (363 boys and 357 girls) aged 13-17 years, in grade 7 through 11 at four public schools. STATA version 11 was used to describe the data and to compare the association between genders. Results Although 53.89 % of students reported engaging in some physical activity, only 9.86% (11.57% of males and 8.12% of females) of the sample met recommended guidelines. Overall 35.42% had spent three or more hours per day doing sitting activities, with significant difference by gender, 54.90 % for Males and 52.89% for females. Conclusions The prevalence of physical activity among Palestinian adolescents was very low. The vast majority of students did not meet public health recommended amounts of physical activity. These findings require immediate action, and efforts should be made to increase levels of physical activity through developing a school-based health education intervention to improve sport practice among school students in Palestine.