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Table 3 Characteristics of the study population: school children (10 years), stratified by study region

From: Physical activity and its correlates in children: a cross-sectional study (the GINIplus & LISAplus studies)

   

Munich (n 2075)

Leipzig (n 319)

Bad Honnef (n 161)

Wesel (n 1285)

 
   

%

%

%

%

p-Value*

Physical activity a (per week)

      

Summer

Light

< 6 h

30.4

24.8

24.2

20.4

<.0001

  

6-14 h

46.3

44.5

46.6

41.9

 
  

> 14 h

23.3

30.7

29.2

37.7

 
 

Moderate

< 5 h

34.9

29.5

32.9

22.8

<.0001

  

5-9 h

34.8

40.1

28.0

33.5

 
  

> 9 h

30.2

30.4

39.1

43.7

 
 

Vigorous

< 4 h

39.3

37.3

38.5

31.4

0.0003

  

4-6 h

34.4

35.4

29.8

37.6

 
  

> 6 h

26.3

27.3

31.7

31.1

 

Winter

Light

< 5 h

31.8

24.8

29.8

23.6

<.0001

  

5-11 h

47.4

48.0

44.7

42.8

 
  

> 11 h

20.8

27.3

25.5

33.6

 
 

Moderate

< 3 h

33.0

26.3

29.8

21.7

<.0001

  

3-6 h

42.6

48.9

41.6

41.0

 
  

> 6 h

24.4

24.8

28.6

37.3

 
 

Vigorous

< 3 h

38.0

26.7

32.3

28.9

<.0001

  

3-4 h

32.5

36.4

29.8

33.9

 
  

> 4 h

29.5

37.0

37.9

37.3

 

Biological

       

Sex

 

Boys

52.3

52.4

50.9

51.5

0.9593

BMI b

 

Underweight

9.9

6.6

7.1

7.4

<.0001

  

Normal weight

83.4

86.6

78.7

80.0

 
  

Overweight

4.9

4.9

10.3

9.3

 
  

Obese

1.8

2.0

3.9

3.3

 

Start of puberty

 

Yes

30.3

34.7

31.5

27.7

0.0784

Siblings

 

Yes

86.6

82.8

89.4

91.1

<.0001

Parental BMI c

Mother

Underweight

3.1

2.4

3.9

1.5

<.0001

  

Normal weight

72.9

65.8

64.7

67.1

 
  

Overweight

17.4

22.4

21.6

22.3

 
  

Obese

6.7

9.5

9.8

9.2

 
 

Father

Underweight

0.3

0.0

0.0

0.2

<.0001

  

Normal weight

47.5

45.0

43.2

37.1

 
  

Overweight

43.9

43.5

45.3

47.7

 
  

Obese

8.3

11.4

11.5

15.0

 

Social

      

Paternal education d

Low

3.7

1.3

3.8

11.0

<.0001

  

Middle

17.2

36.6

21.9

37.9

 
  

High

79.2

62.2

74.4

51.1

 

Household income e

Low

6.7

4.6

5.7

6.4

0.0667

  

Middle

23.4

22.0

31.2

20.5

 
  

High

69.9

73.4

63.1

73.0

 

Behavioral

       

TV/PC (per day)

Summer

< 1 h

74.9

64.3

67.9

57.9

<.0001

  

1-2 h

23.9

32.6

29.6

40.3

 
  

> 2 h

1.2

3.1

2.5

1.9

 
 

Winter

< 1 h

43.7

30.9

22.6

16.4

<.0001

  

1-2 h

50.1

53.6

66.7

66.0

 
  

> 2 h

6.3

15.5

10.7

17.6

 

Method of arriving school f

Active

67.9

47.3

50.6

68.5

<.0001

  

Passive

25.1

43.9

38.1

23.2

 
  

Mixed

7.0

8.8

11.3

8.3

 

Membership of a sports club

Yes

85.9

76.3

89.4

85.6

<.0001

Time Outdoors (h per day)

      
 

Summer

< 3 h

15.8

13.9

5.6

4.7

<.0001

  

3-5 h

70.9

70.0

67.5

64.0

 
  

> 5 h

13.3

16.1

26.9

31.3

 
 

Winter

< 2 h

36.4

31.0

28.3

20.5

<.0001

  

2-3 h

57.9

60.2

63.5

64.8

 
  

> 3 h

5.7

8.8

8.2

14.7

 

Psychological

      

Emotional Symptoms g

Normal

82.6

82.7

85.4

82.7

0.4985

  

Borderline

6.9

8.2

5.7

8.4

 
  

Abnormal

10.5

9.2

8.9

9.0

 
  1. *p-values from Pearsons Chi-Quadrat Test; aPhysical activity: light activity (no sweating. normal respiration. like walking). moderate activity (some sweating. moderately increased respiration. like cycling/swimming) and vigorous activity (strong sweating. fast respiration like ball games/training); bBMI according to the classification by Kromeyer-Hauschild et al.; cParental BMI according to WHO classification; dParental education: low (less than tenth grade). moderate (tenth grade). high (more than tenth grade); eHousehold income adjusted for size of household and study region (class size based on distribution of parternal education); fHow they reach school: active (by foot or by bike). passive (by car. bus or train). mixed (alternate active and passive way to school); gEmotional symptoms according to the German version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.