The Association Between Socio-Ecological Factors and Having an After-School Physical Activity Program

BACKGROUND: After-school physical activity (PA) programs promote PA among youth. Few studies have used socio-ecological health models to identify barriers and facilitators of after-school PA programs. This study examined which socio-ecological factors are associated with having an after-school PA program. METHODS: A questionnaire was administered to key representatives of 114 elementary and 129 secondary schools. The association between socio-ecological factors and having an after-school PA program was analyzed at school level. RESULTS: In both types of schools more knowledge about community schools was positively associated with having an after-school PA program (odds ratio [OR] = 1.96; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.18-3.27; OR = 1.88; 95% CI = 1.27-2.80, respectively). In elementary schools, environmental factors associated with having an after-school PA program included PA facilities (OR = 4.98; 95% CI = 1.08-23.05), a PA working group (OR = 3.37; 95% CI = 1.02-11.10), agreements with the community (OR = 1.60; 95% CI = 1.05-2.43), shortage of human resources (OR = 0.57; 95% CI = 0.37-0.89) and lack of support from teachers (OR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.33-0.80). In secondary schools, environmental factors included the presence of a remunerated coordinator (OR = 5.12; 95% CI = 1.38-19.10) and partnerships with "sport and PA leaders" (OR = 3.54; 95% CI = 1.01-12.41). CONCLUSION: Having an after-school PA program was associated with personal and environmental factors, which supports the use of socio-ecological frameworks for explorative and intervention studies aiming to increase after-school PA programs.     

Bullying and Symptoms of Depression in Chilean Middle School Students

BACKGROUND:  The goal of this study was to assess the association between bullying and symptoms of depression among middle school students in Chile.
METHODS:  Secondary data analysis of Chile's 2004 Global School-Based Health Survey.
RESULTS:  A total of 8131 middle school students participated in the study. Forty-seven percent of students reported having been bullied in the past month and 30% reported having been sad and hopeless for 2 or more weeks in the past year. Students in the seventh and eighth grades were more likely to report having been bullied in the past month than students in ninth grade. Ninth grade students reported higher levels of loneliness, difficulty sleeping, and suicidal thoughts than students in the seventh and eighth grades. Boys were more likely than girls to report being bullied in the past month, but girls were more likely than boys to report symptoms of depression, such as prolonged feelings of sadness and hopelessness, loneliness, difficulty sleeping, and suicidal thoughts. Students who reported being bullied in the past month were more likely than nonbullied students to report symptoms of depression. A higher number of days of being bullied in the past month was associated with a statistically significant increase in reported rates of sadness and hopelessness (p < .001).
CONCLUSIONS:  Bullying is common among middle school children in Chile, and bullying and symptoms of depression are strongly linked. This finding is consistent with studies of bullying and depression in adolescents from other parts of the world.     

Associations Between School Recreational Environments and Physical Activity

Background:  School environments may promote or hinder physical activity in young people. The purpose of this research was to examine relationships between school recreational environments and adolescent physical activity.
Methods:  Using multilevel logistic regression, data from 7638 grade 6 to 10 students from 154 schools who participated in the 2005/06 Canadian Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Survey were analyzed. Individual and cumulative effects of school policies, varsity and intramural athletics, presence and condition of fields, and condition of gymnasiums on students' self-reported physical activity (≥2 h/wk vs <2 h/wk) were examined.
Results:  Moderate gradients in physical activity were observed according to number of recreational features and opportunities. Overall, students at schools with more recreational features and opportunities reported higher rates of class-time and free-time physical activity; this was strongest among high school students. Boys' rates of class-time physical activity were 1.53 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.12-1.80) times as high at high schools with the most recreational features as at schools with the fewest. Similarly, girls' rates of free-time physical activity at school were 1.62 (95% CI: 0.96-2.21) times as high at high schools with the most opportunities and facilities as compared to schools with the fewest. Modest associations were observed between individual school characteristics and class-time and free-time physical activity.
Conclusions:  Taken together, the cumulative effect of school recreational features may be more important than any one characteristic individually.