Published October 9, 2023 | Version v1
Dataset Open

Adolescence is characterized by more sedentary behavior and less physical activity even among highly active forager-farmers

  • 1. University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
  • 2. Chapman University
  • 3. University of New Mexico
  • 4. Arizona State University
  • 5. University of California, Santa Barbara
  • 6. Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse

Description

Over 80% of adolescents worldwide are insufficiently active, posing massive public health and economic challenges. Declining physical activity (PA) and sex differences in PA consistently accompany transitions from childhood to adulthood in post-industrialized populations and are often attributed to psychosocial and environmental factors. An overarching evolutionary theoretical framework and data from pre-industrialized populations are lacking. This cross-sectional study tests hypotheses from life history theory, that adolescent PA is inversely related to age, but this association is mediated by Tanner stage, reflecting higher and sex-specific energetic demands for growth and reproductive maturation. Detailed measures of PA and pubertal maturation are assessed among Tsimane forager-farmers (age: 7–22 yrs.; 50% female, n=110). Most Tsimane sampled (71%) meet World Health Organization PA guidelines (≥60 minutes/day of moderate-to-vigorous PA). Like post-industrialized populations, sex differences and inverse age-activity associations were observed. Tanner stage significantly mediated age-activity associations. Adolescence presents difficulties to PA engagement that warrant further consideration in PA intervention approaches to improve public health.

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Additional details

Related works

Is cited by
10.1101/2023.03.15.23287308 (DOI)
Is derived from
10.5281/zenodo.8412089 (DOI)