Gender and age differences in the association between living arrangement and physical activity levels among youth aged 9–19?years in Shanghai, China: a cross-sectional questionnaire study

摘要

We examined the correlations between living arrangement and the physical activity (PA) levels of youth aged 9-19?years while accounting for demographic factors such as age, sex, and socioeconomic status in Shanghai, China. Cross-sectional analyses of data from the 2014 Physical Activity and Fitness in Shanghai China-The Youth Study was conducted. Participants were 33,213 primary (9-11-year-olds; n?=?13,237), junior middle (12-14-year-olds; n?=?11,157), and junior high school students (15-19-year-olds; n?=?8819). Youth (boys?=?49%) and their guardians were randomly sampled from 17 districts in Shanghai, China. Youths' moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) levels, information about living arrangement, and guardians' sociodemographic factors were collected via questionnaires. Only 17.8% of school-aged youths in Shanghai met MVPA recommendations, with significantly more boys (20.6%) meeting recommendations than girls (p??.001). Youths living in rural areas showed an overall significantly higher percentage of meeting MVPA recommendations (20.3%) than those living in urban areas (p??.001). Youths who lived with single parents showed an overall significantly lower percentage of meeting MVPA recommendations (15.3%) than those living with their grandparent(s) or with both parents (p??.001). A logistic regression analysis revealed that, among 9-11-year-olds, children who live with their grandparent(s) were less likely to meet MVPA recommendations than those who lived with both parents (boys: adjusted odds ratio (aOR)?=?0.72, 95% confidence interval (CI)?=?0.61-0.84; girls: aOR?=?0.84, 95%CI?=?0.72-0.98). Type of living arrangement was associated with the PA of youth in Shanghai, with no significant gender difference. Youth aged 9-19?years who lived with single parents had the lowest percentage of meeting MVPA recommendations. The probability of achieving 60?min/day MVPA recommendations was significantly lower among 9-11-year-old children living with their grandparent(s) than children living with both parents; however, no such difference was observed among adolescents. Our findings suggest that living arrangement may be an important consideration for promotion of PA among youth in China.