Physical Activity Behaviours of Female Pupils and Possible Influences of Urban Environments on Eating

Abstract

Relationships among children`s physical activity behaviors and factors that might indicate increasing health risks have not yet been firmly established in developing nations. Eating and activity behaviours, is an area in research, particularly in developing communities, like Nigeria, where changes in lifestyle have had profound effects on the population – densely populated urban area and risk of heart diseases. The main thrust of this study was to examine specific aspects of lifestyles of school children who lived in an extremely dense urban area of the troubled Niger-Delta region of Nigeria. The participants were 25 males and 25 females school children in five schools in Warri metropolis (oil-city) of Nigeria, recruited by the school principals. A purposive sampling technique was used in selecting the subjects, with the consent of their parents. The BEACHES` instrument, developed by Mckenzie was adopted. For this study, every target child was visited in his/her home for 1 hour session, along with six (20 minutes observation) sessions at the child`s school during recess periods. Number and lengths of observations were based on optimum suggested by Mckenzie et al. (1991). Findings revealed low participation rate, school children involved in sedentary activity during their recess time passivity and low occurrence patterns at home based activities. All may be attributed to the unfriendly environment of the area under study. The need to make a friendly area was therefore suggested.