Background: France (FR) and New Caledonia (NC) are both French territories, one in Western Europe, the other as part of the Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs). Despite schooling in similar educational systems, FR and NC adolescents develop distinct relationships with physical activity, which is influenced by the geographical-cultural and symbolic structures of their respective societies. This study explored the distribution of physical activity according to geographical culture and opportunity-temporal dimensions.
Methods: Participants were randomly selected, with individual (boys vs. girls), spatial (rural vs. urban), and geographical (FR vs. NC) stratifications. Accelerometers GT3X (ActiGraph TM, Pensacola FL, USA) and daily logbooks were used to measure the physical activity intensity and opportunities during the week.
Results: A total of 156 participants were included in this study. A significant effect was found in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) intensity with the geographical-cultural dimension; participants living in FR were more likely to engage in MVPA, especially in five opportunities: school, supervised leisure, home, school breaks, and transport. For both FR and NC adolescents, physical education lessons had the highest MVPA.
Conclusion: This study showed that MVPA differed in the same national educational system according to geographical culture. Physical education lessons could catch the challenge of an "opportunity education" (opportunities are defined as temporal invitations to engage in PA) by opening the door to two particular opportunities: supervised leisure and active transport.
Keywords: Accelerometery; Culture; Ecological framework; Geography; Health; Moderate and vigorous physical activity.
France and New Caledonia are both French territories, one in Western Europe, the other as part of the Pacific Island Countries and Territories. Despite schooling in similar educational systems, FR and NC adolescents develop distinct relationships with Physical Activity (PA). This study explored the distribution of PA according to geographical culture and the opportunity which structured the day. 156 participants worn an accelerometers and daily logbooks to measure the PA intensity and opportunities during the week. A significant effect was found in PA intensity with the geographical-cultural dimension: participants living in FR were more likely to engage in PA, especially in five opportunities: school, supervised leisure, home, school breaks, and transport. For both FR and NC adolescents, physical education lessons had the highest PA. Physical education lessons could collaborate with two other opportunities by opening the door of two particular opportunities: supervised leisure and active transport. This study highlights four points relevant to promoting healthy and sustainable active behaviour: – Living in New Caledonia decreases the odds of engaging in MVPA compared to France. – New Caledonian and French adolescents distinguish their MVPA in active transport and supervised leisure. – Physical education lessons provide the highest MVPA for both territories. – Physical education lessons might educate students about catching other MVPA opportunities.
Copyright: © 2024 Derigny T et al.