تعيين الگوي فعاليت بدني كودكان استان هاي مركزي و اصفهان سال 1381

Physical activity level among children of Markazi and Isfahan provinces (2000)

Introduction: Decreased Physical activity in childhood and adolescence is one of the main risk factors of coronary heart diseases in adulthood but this topic is neglected. Different studies showed that physical activity is much lower than the standard range. In this study, we assessed the pattern of physical activity in children and adolescents of central areas in Iran. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study is one of the first steps of "Healthy Heart" program in Isfahan. In this survey, knowledge, attitude and practice about physical activity and the duration of television watching were assessed by a questionarre. Sample of this study were 4000 children and adolescents and their parents and 500 teachers in Isfahan province ( Isfahan and Najafabad) and Markazi province (Arak). Analysis was performed by SPSS. Results: The time of regular physical exercise was less than 2 hours in 40% of students in Isfahan and Markazi provinces. The time of physical activites and morning exercice in school was much higher in girls than boys (p < 0.00001) but regular exercise out of school and participation in different teams was much higher in boys than girls (p < 0.001). More than 77% of parents did not have information about the importance of physical exersice of their children in preservation of their health. The mean duration of TV watching in children at different ages was 4 hours. Concision: Physical exercise in students of high schools in central parts of Iran was less than optimal range. In contrast the time of TV watching was much higher than recommended time.