Lifestyle and physical fitness in adolescents: Differences between the sexes in sports practice

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the lifestyle profile and physical fitness of adolescents who practice sports and to verify whether there is an association between female and male genders. Ninety-three adolescents (11-14 years old) who practice sports participated in the study. The variables of physical fitness and lifestyle were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and the difference between the sexes was analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test. The Spearman test was used to identify associations, considering p<0.05 as significant for all tests. In lifestyle, preventive behavior and stress control were greater for females (p=0.04, respectively). In physical fitness, strength, flexibility and speed were different between the sexes (p<0.05). Females showed an association between physical activity and speed (r=-0.334; p=0.046), preventive behavior and resistance (r=0.466; p=0.004) and speed (r=-0.487; p=0.002), and stress control with flexibility (r=0.336; p=0.044) and speed (r=-0.337; p=0.044). For males, there was an association between diet and strength; and diet with speed (r=-0.344; p=0.008). These findings reinforce the need to consider sex differences when assessing lifestyle and physical fitness in adolescents.