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Physical activity and health-related quality of life among schoolchildren from disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Port Elizabeth, South Africa

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Abstract

Purpose

The relationship between health-related quality of life (HRQoL), physical activity (PA), and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) among disadvantaged communities in low- and middle-income countries is poorly understood. In South Africa, children from socioeconomically deprived households are at an elevated risk of sedentary lifestyles and poor HRQoL. We examined whether higher self-reported PA and higher CRF levels are associated with better HRQoL in South African schoolchildren from disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

Methods

Overall, 832 children aged 8–12 years participated in this cross-sectional study. HRQoL was assessed through five dimensions of the KIDSCREEN-27 tool. Self-reported PA was measured using a single item of the Health-Behaviour of School-Aged Children test, and CRF with the 20-m shuttle run test.

Results

Higher self-reported PA was significantly and positively related to HRQoL. Significant, but small group differences existed across all dimensions of HRQoL between low and high self-reported PA. No significant associations were observed between CRF levels and HRQoL.

Conclusions

Schoolchildren reporting PA of at least 60 min on at least 6 days a week (the recommended minimum) report higher HRQoL than their peers with lower PA levels.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Ms. Siphesihle Nqweniso, Ms. Larissa Adams, Ms. Danielle Smith, Ms. Dominique Bänninger, Mr. Thomas Hager, and Ms. Nandi Joubert for their contribution to data collection. We also thank Mr. Bruce Damons and Ms. Mariandah Gerwel for enabling contacts to schools and their contribution to data collection.

Funding

This study was financially supported by the Swiss-South African Joint Research Programme (SSAJRP), jointly funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF; project no. IZLSZ3 149015) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) in South Africa (project no. 87397). The funders played no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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Author notes

  1. Marina Salvini and Stefanie Gall have contributed equally to this article.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Birsstrasse 320B, 4052, Basel, Switzerland

    Marina Salvini, Stefanie Gall, Ivan Müller, Uwe Pühse & Markus Gerber

  2. Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland

    Ivan Müller, Peter Steinmann & Jürg Utzinger

  3. University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    Ivan Müller, Peter Steinmann & Jürg Utzinger

  4. Department of Human Movement Science, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

    Cheryl Walter & Rosa du Randt

Authors
  1. Marina Salvini
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  2. Stefanie Gall
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  3. Ivan Müller
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  4. Cheryl Walter
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Correspondence to Markus Gerber.

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Conflict of interest

None of the authors have any conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

The study was approved by the ethical review board of North-western and Central Switzerland (reference no. EKNZ 2014-179), the Nelson Mandela University Human Ethics Committee (reference no. H14-HEA-HMS-002), the Eastern Cape Department of Education, and the Eastern Cape Department of Health in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. All procedures performed in the study were in accordance with the ethical standards described in the institutional research committees and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments.

Informed consent

Each child provided oral assent and written informed consent was obtained from parents/guardians.

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Salvini, M., Gall, S., Müller, I. et al. Physical activity and health-related quality of life among schoolchildren from disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Qual Life Res 27, 205–216 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-017-1707-1

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