Self-Reported Physical Activity Level in Student Athletes at Preparticipation Physical Evaluations.

OBJECTIVE

Quantify physical activity in healthy student athletes.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey.

SETTING

Five Central Ohio schools during mass preparticipation physicals.

PARTICIPANTS

Three hundred sixty-five children between the ages 10 and 18 years.

INDEPENDENT VARIABLES

Days per week of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), minutes per day of MVPA, and number of activities.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Minutes per week of MVPA.

RESULTS

One hundred eighty high school and 177 middle school subjects responded to the survey. There were 198 male and 162 female respondents. Mean age recorded 14.2 ± 1.7 years. There were no differences in activity volume based on sex. Mean minutes per week of MVPA reported 316.0 ± 231.0. High school subjects reported fewer activities than middle school cohort 2.7 ± 1.2 versus 3.2 ± 1.5 (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Only 7% of respondents reported exercising 60 minutes daily. Twenty-seven percent of respondents met minutes per week (420 minutes of MVPA) by training in large volumes on fewer days. Surprisingly, this physically active population did not meet the national standards of daily MVPA. In addition, middle school athletes reported more variety of activities compared with high school athletes surveyed which reached statistical significance. Screening for daily physical activity is important in the athletic population because young athletes may not meet daily MVPA recommendations.