Assessment of physical activity levels, fitness and perceived barriers to physical activity practice in adolescents: cross-sectional study

Adolescence is a time of rapid physical, psychological and social changes. Recent studies show that, at this stage, there is a decrease in physical activity (PA) levels, along with high rates of overweight and obesity. The purpose of this study was to assess PA levels and physical condition (PC) related to perceived barriers (PB) and limiting factors for PA practice in a randomised sample of adolescents in Barcelona (Spain) considering overweight status and gender. One hundred and forty-three adolescents (53.8 % boys; median age of 15 years) of Secondary Education in public schools located in a randomly selected district (Sants – Montjuïc) in Barcelona (Spain) participated in a cross-sectional study. Variables assessed were (a) PC (ALPHA-Fitness), (b) PA levels (Physical Activity Questionnaire PAQ-A), and (c) perceived barriers (Self-Reported Barriers to Participation in Physical Activity questionnaire). The different variables were tested by calculating means and standard deviations, with the presence/absence of overweight, and according to the adolescents’ gender. Means between groups were compared using Student’s t test.