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Physical Activity and Fitness of First Nations Youth in a Remote and Isolated Northern Ontario Community: A Needs Assessment

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Abstract

Among a group of First Nations youth, this research aimed to obtain objective measures of anthropometry, physical activity (PA) and fitness; to identify any group-level differences by sex, body mass index, waist circumference and body fat categories; to assess the barriers and supports to PA. Youth participated in anthropometric measures (BMI, waist circumference, body fat percentage), PA assessment (3 days of accelerometry) and fitness testing (guided by the Canadian Physical Activity, Fitness and Lifestyle Approach). Barriers and supports were assessed via environmental scan and focus groups. Descriptive statistics were compared to reference data. Group differences by sex, BMI status, waist circumference and body fat categories were tested using Mann–Whitney U and Chi square tests (p ≤ 0.05). Qualitative data were assembled into one file and coded manually for categories and themes. Seventy-two youth (12.1 ± 1.1 years, 61.1 % male) participated in at least one measure; 36 completed the accelerometry. Sixty-three percent were overweight or obese, 51 % were abdominally obese and 21 % had excess body fat. Most (86.1 %) met Canada’s PA guidelines. Boys were more active than girls (p = 0.025) and had greater cardiorespiratory endurance (p = 0.003). Overweight, obese, or abdominally obese youth had lower cardiorespiratory endurance than normal weight youth (p < 0.001). Barriers and supports fell under the main themes: motivation, role models, personnel and facilities, environment and programs. Based on this assessment, youth in this community are active, but not sufficiently physically fit, especially among those affected by obesity and abdominal obesity. The findings, in addition to the numerous barriers to PA, support the community’s desire for school-based PA programming.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the community youth and teachers who participated in this project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada

    Michelle Gates, Rhona Hanning & Allison Gates

  2. St. Andrew’s School, P.O. 235, Kashechewan, ON, P0L 1S0, Canada

    Judy Stephen & Andrew Fehst

  3. Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada

    Leonard Tsuji

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  1. Michelle Gates
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Correspondence to Michelle Gates.

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The research was supported by grant funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Grant #178424).

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Gates, M., Hanning, R., Gates, A. et al. Physical Activity and Fitness of First Nations Youth in a Remote and Isolated Northern Ontario Community: A Needs Assessment. J Community Health 41, 46–56 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-015-0063-8

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