Adölesanlarda Fiziksel Aktivite Düzeyleri Üzerine Bir İzlem Kohort Çalışması

Abstract

Amaç: Düzenli fiziksel aktivite (FA), sağlığın korunması ve kronik hastalıkların önlenmesi açısından hayati öneme sahiptir. Ancak, küresel bulgular adölesan dönemde FA’da tutarlı bir azalma olduğunu göstermekte, Türk adölesanların da son on yıllarda giderek artan hareketsizlik düzeyleri yaşadığı bildirilmektedir. Adölesan dönem, FA alışkanlıklarının oluştuğu ve uzun dönem sağlık sonuçlarını etkilediği kritik bir gelişim evresini temsil etmektedir; ancak Türkiye’de bu konuda uzunlamasına kanıtlar sınırlıdır. Bu çalışma, prospektif kohort tasarımı kullanılarak adölesanlar arasında 18 aylık süreçte FA’daki değişimleri incelemeyi amaçlamıştır. Yöntem: Bu çalışma, prospektif kohort çalışması olarak planlanmıştır. Kasım–Aralık 2022 döneminde temel anketi tamamlayan 296 adölesan (5.–8. sınıf, 11–13 yaş), bunlardan rastgele seçilen bir okuldan 192 öğrenci Mayıs–Haziran 2024’te tekrar takip edilmiştir. Her iki zamanda da antropometrik ölçümler ve Fiziksel Aktivite Anketi–Çocuklar için Versiyonunun (PAQ-C) Türkçe geçerlilik çalışması yapılmış formu kullanılarak FA düzeyleri değerlendirilmiştir. Bulgular: Toplam 157 katılımcı (erkek, n=74; kız, n=83) her iki zamanda da değerlendirmeyi tamamlamıştır. Erkeklerde dokuz PAQ-C maddesinin altısında, kızlarda ise iki maddede anlamlı düşüş gözlenmiştir (p<0,05). Okul zamanı FA (maddeler 2–4) belirgin olarak azalmış, boş zaman ve ders dışı FA (maddeler 1 ve 5–9) ise büyük ölçüde değişmemiştir (p>0,05). Cinsiyet farklılıkları, erkeklerde kızlara kıyasla daha büyük azalmalar olduğunu göstermiştir. Sonuç: On sekiz aylık dönemde adölesanlarda FA düzeylerinde düşüş gözlenmiş, en belirgin azalmalar okul zamanı FA’da ve erkeklerde görülmüştür. Bu bulgular, Türkiye’de ergen FA’sının uzunlamasına izlenmesinin gerekliliğini ortaya koymaktadır. Türkiye’de ergenlerde FA’nın takip edilmesine yönelik çalışmalar halen sınırlıdır.

Keywords

• Adölesan
• fiziksel aktivite
• prospektif
• kohort

A Follow-Up Cohort Study on Physical Activity Levels in Turkish Adolescents

Abstract

Aim: Regular physical activity (PA) is essential for maintaining health and preventing chronic diseases. However, global evidence shows a consistent decline in PA during adolescence, with Turkish adolescents similarly experiencing increasing levels of inactivity over the last decades. Adolescence represents a critical developmental stage where PA habits are established and influence long-term health outcomes, yet longitudinal evidence from Türkiye remains limited. This study aimed to examine 18-month changes in PA among Turkish adolescents using a prospective cohort design. Method: This study was planned as a prospective cohort study.296 adolescents (grades 5–8, aged 11–13 years) who completed the baseline survey between November – December 2022, a randomly selected subsample of 192 students from one school was followed up in May-June 2024.PA levels were assessed at both time points using anthropometric measures and the validated Turkish version of the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C). Results: A total of 157 participants (boys, n=74; girls, n=83) completed assessments at both time points. Significant decreases were observed in six of nine PAQ-C items for boys and two of nine items for girls (p < 0.05). School-time PA (items 2–4) showed significant reductions, while spare-time and extracurricular PA (items 1 and 5–9) remained largely unchanged (p > 0.05). Gender differences indicated greater reductions among boys compared with girls. Conclusions: Over an 18-month period, PA levels among Turkish adolescents declined, with reductions most evident in school-time PA and more pronounced among boys. These findings underscore the need for longitudinal monitoring of adolescent PA in Türkiye. There is limited study estimating the follow-up on physical activity in the Turkish adolescent population.

Keywords

• Adolescent
• physical activity
• prospective
• cohort

Ethical Statement

This study has the necessary approvals from local governments and the ethical approval from Ethics Committee of Marmara University Institute of Health Sciences (No: 38 Date: 21.03.2022). Written informed consent was obtained from the parents.

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