BASIS AND PURPOSES: Physical inactivity is an important risk factor to chronic diseases. Results shown in the literature are controvert concerning to the sportive activities practice in childhood and adolescence, as well as physical activities during adulthood. The purpose of this study was to verify the frequency of the leisure physical activity (LPA) in young adults, and to determine whether the practice of sports during the adolescence years influenced or not such activity. METHODS: It was performed a transversal inquiry-type study during from November, 2003 to April, 2004 in 170 students of Medicine schools performing their internship stage in Pediatrics and toco-gynecology at the Instituto Materno Infantil de Pernambuco (IMIP). It was considered athletes who said to have practiced some kind of sports for at least two consecutive years between ages from 10 to 19 years. The physical activity performed at that moment was measured through information of the LPA performed during the last week previous to the application of the questionnaire, searching for practices of some kind of physical activity which could cause sudoresis and fast breathing. It was considered physically active those individuals who spent at least 150 minutes of physical activity/week. RESULTS: Only 22.5 (35/155) of the individuals were performing LPA. Among those who were athlete during the adolescence, the practice of LPA in the adulthood was higher; 26.8 (33/123) compared to those who were not athletes, 6.2% (2/32); p < 0.03 (tabela 1). However, the presence of over-weight or obesity, arterial hypertension, smoking habits, and parental antecedents of early atherosclerotic disease was not different among those groups with higher and lower LPA. CONCLUSION: Practicing sports activities during the adolescence contributes to the LPA in the adulthood.
Physical exercise; Recreational activities; Sports
