UCSF

The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to: 1) describe the physical activity levels in Thai fourth-grade students in Bangkok; 2) explore factors that determine the level of physical activity in Thai fourth-grade students in Bangkok; and 3) report psychometric data from questionnaires used in this study.

A convenience sample of 398 healthy students (mean age: 10.0 yrs; S.D. 0.45 yrs.), from six elementary schools in Bangkok during the 2006 academic year, were enrolled in the study. Parents provided family demographic information, described how their children used their free time (time-use behavior), and assessed their family's support for physical activity. Children wore a pedometer (Walk-for-Life Duo) and filled out a pedometer log for six consecutive days. The children met with research assistants every weekday to record the number of steps they had taken that day. The children also completed four questionnaires (Child's Perceived Barriers to Play Actively, Child's Self-Efficacy to Play Actively, Child's Perceived Physical Activity Enjoyment, and Child's Perceived Social and Physical Environment for Physical Activity Scales). The mean number of steps taken by the children was 10,079 steps/day (SD 2811). The mean number of steps taken on weekdays was 10,407 steps/day (SD 2927) and 8761 steps/day (SD 3317) on weekend days. Boys were significantly more active than girls (Boys 11,021 (SD 2917); Girls 9,168 (SD 2381); P<.001)

Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that 9 variables explained 31 percent of the variance in physical activity. These were: gender, body mass index, number of hours watching television, number of hours playing actively outside, sibling/other child support, parental permission for their children to play actively outside, number of physical activity items/equipment available at home, a school policy promoting physical activity, and child's self-efficacy to overcome general barriers. Gender was the strongest predictor of physical activity. Once gender is controlled, each variable in the model explains only a small amount of the variance (1-3%) in physical activity.