In our study, we investigated whether the amount of physical inactivity was more strongly
associated with body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness in adolescents than the
amount of physical activity. The study included 2017 adolescents aged 12 to 19 years
from Slovenian primary and secondary schools. Data were obtained as part of the ARTOS
(Analysis of Children's Developmental Trends in Slovenia) study conducted in 2023 and
2024. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was assessed using the SHAPES
questionnaire, while physical inactivity was estimated as the total time spent engaging in
different forms of sedentary behaviour. Body composition was assessed using
anthropometric measurements. Body mass index was calculated from height and body
mass, body fat percentage was estimated from skinfold measurements, and abdominal
obesity was assessed using waist circumference. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed
using data obtained from the 20-metre shuttle run test. Appropriate statistical analyses
were performed to analyse the data. The results showed that moderate-to-vigorous
physical activity was more strongly associated with anthropometric characteristics (body
mass index) and cardiorespiratory fitness than physical inactivity. However, we also
found that physical inactivity was independently associated with cardiorespiratory fitness
in adolescents. Among adolescents who met the physical activity recommendations, those
with lower levels of physical inactivity had significantly higher cardiorespiratory fitness
than their peers with higher levels of physical inactivity. Based on these findings, we
conclude that it is important to develop preventive strategies that encourage young people
not only to engage in sufficient amounts of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity but
also to reduce the time spent in various forms of sedentary behaviour.
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