Exploring physical activity engagement in secondary school students in Montevideo, Uruguay: A qualitative study (original) (raw)

International Journal of Child and Adolescent Health

Physical activity provides multiple health and educational benefits to children and youth, yet the majority of young people across the globe, including adolescents in Uruguay, do not participate in sufficient physical activity. This study aims to further inform intervention efforts for promoting adolescent physical activity in Uruguay by exploring physical activity perceptions and practices as well as physical activity barriers and opportunities in a sample of public and private secondary school students living in and around Montevideo, Uruguay. A total of n=65 secondary school students, ranging in age from 11 to 15 years, participated in 12 focus groups. Despite generally favorable attitudes expressed by participants toward physical activity and identification of common physical activities, findings indicated several barriers for physical activity engagement in this sample of Uruguayan secondary school students -- which often vary by gender and SES, including: lack of access and av...