Level of habitual physical activity among 13-year-old adolescents from Spain and India: A cross-cultural study

espanolEl nivel de actividad fisica de las personas es muy importante a nivel internacional. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar el nivel de actividad fisica habitual de escolares de India y Espana. Para lograr este objetivo, se utilizo el cuestionario PACE (Physician-based Assessment and Counseling for Exercise). Este cuestionario valora con dos preguntas cuantos dias en la ultima semana (PACE 1) y en una semana habitual (PACE 2) el sujeto realiza al menos 60 minutos de actividad fisica. La muestra del estudio estuvo compuesta por 154 adolescentes de 13 anos de edad. Del total de la muestra, 61 adolescentes (36 hombres, 59%, y 25 mujeres, 41%) eran de Nagaon, Assam (India), y 93 adolescentes (39 hombres, 42%, y 54 mujeres, 58%) eran de la Region de Murcia (Espana). Los resultados mostraron que los adolescentes de 13 anos de Espana e India no realizan suficiente actividad fisica, segun las recomendaciones de la OMS. El 80.5% de los adolescentes espanoles y el 76% de los adolescentes indios de la muestra fueron inactivos, segun la clasificacion del cuestionario PACE. Por tanto, se sugiere llevar a cabo programas de intervencion para aumentar el nivel de actividad fisica en ambos paises. EnglishThe level of physical activity of people is a very important issue internationally. The aim of this study was to analyze the level of habitual physical activity among adolescents from India and Spain. To achieve this purpose, the questionnaire Physician-based Assessment and Counseling for Exercise (PACE) was used. This questionnaire assesses with two questions how many days in the last week (PACE 1) and in a usual week (PACE 2) the subject does at least 60 min of physical activity. The study sample consisted of 154 13-year-old adolescents. Out of total sample, 61 adolescents (36 males, 59 %, and 25 females, 41%) were from Nagaon, Assam (India), and 93 adolescents (39 males, 42%, and 54 females, 58%) from the Region of Murcia (Spain). The results showed that the 13-year-old adolescents from Spain and India do not do enough physical activity, according to the recommendations of the WHO. The 80.5% of the Spanish adolescents and the 76% of the Indian adolescents of the sample were inactive considering the classification of PACE questionnaire. Therefore, intervention programs to increase the level of physical activity are suggested for both countries.