Conference abstract
Association between physical activity and health and well-being of school children in Southern Tanzania
Pan African Medical Journal - Conference Proceedings. 2024:21(31).29
Apr 2024.
doi: 10.11604/pamj-cp.2024.21.31.2362
Archived on: 29 Apr 2024
Contact the corresponding author
Keywords: Physical activity, cognitive ability, nutritional status, school children, flanker task, actigraph
Oral presentation
Association between physical activity and health and well-being of school children in Southern Tanzania
Fahad Mwakalebela S1,2,&, Elihaika Minja1, Yohana Mwalugelo1, Esther Elisaria1,2, Ephraim Kosia2, Lina Finda1
1Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara, Tanzania, 2The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Arusha, Tanzania
&Corresponding author
Introduction: inadequate physical activity (PA) is a risk factor for poor health outcomes in later life. In low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Tanzania, more than 80% of children aged 11 - 17 are physically inactive. PA has been associated with improved nutritional and cognitive performance. However, limited studies have explored this association in LMICs like Tanzania. This study assessed the association between PA and the health and well-being of school children in terms of nutritional status and cognitive performance.
Methods: physical activity was assessed using an Actigraph device that measures the children's 7-day average activity levels. Cognitive ability was assessed using Flanker Task, a computer game that assesses executive domain cognitive functions, specifically information processing. Nutritional status was determined using the Tanita scale.
Results: among 678 children who participated in the baseline study, 14.3% were underweight, 77.9% had normal weight, 5.5% were overweight, and 2.4% were obese. Furthermore, 92.6% of children engaged in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per WHO recommendations. A multinomial logistic regression revealed that children who did not meet the recommended MVPA criteria had nearly five times higher likelihood of being obese compared to those who did (p-value=0.008). No association between PA and cognitive ability was observed.
Conclusion: schools should encourage daily physical activity to improve the health and well-being of schoolchildren. More studies are needed to explore the benefits of PA in rural settings in LMICs.
Association between physical activity and health and well-being of school children in Southern Tanzania
Fahad Mwakalebela S1,2,&, Elihaika Minja1, Yohana Mwalugelo1, Esther Elisaria1,2, Ephraim Kosia2, Lina Finda1
1Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara, Tanzania, 2The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Arusha, Tanzania
&Corresponding author
Introduction: inadequate physical activity (PA) is a risk factor for poor health outcomes in later life. In low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Tanzania, more than 80% of children aged 11 - 17 are physically inactive. PA has been associated with improved nutritional and cognitive performance. However, limited studies have explored this association in LMICs like Tanzania. This study assessed the association between PA and the health and well-being of school children in terms of nutritional status and cognitive performance.
Methods: physical activity was assessed using an Actigraph device that measures the children's 7-day average activity levels. Cognitive ability was assessed using Flanker Task, a computer game that assesses executive domain cognitive functions, specifically information processing. Nutritional status was determined using the Tanita scale.
Results: among 678 children who participated in the baseline study, 14.3% were underweight, 77.9% had normal weight, 5.5% were overweight, and 2.4% were obese. Furthermore, 92.6% of children engaged in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per WHO recommendations. A multinomial logistic regression revealed that children who did not meet the recommended MVPA criteria had nearly five times higher likelihood of being obese compared to those who did (p-value=0.008). No association between PA and cognitive ability was observed.
Conclusion: schools should encourage daily physical activity to improve the health and well-being of schoolchildren. More studies are needed to explore the benefits of PA in rural settings in LMICs.
