Influence of Physical Education on physical activity levels in adolescence. A systematic review

Abstract

Lack of physical activity, especially in adolescent populations, has become a major problem worldwide. More than 80% of the adolescent population does not meet the minimum recommendations set by the WHO. To combat low levels of physical activity, Physical Education could be one tool. However, it does not seem to be contributing to improve these percentages. The main objective of this systematic review was to review the scientific literature to analyse the influence of PE sessions on the physical activity levels of adolescents. The aim was to identify whether the average levels of moderate or vigorous physical activity in physical education sessions reached the minimum recommended levels, to investigate the factors that interfere with the results of these levels and to find out whether the effects of the Spanish secondary physical education curriculum on the physical activity levels of adolescents are within the standards. Twenty-one articles extracted from three different databases were analysed using the same search equation. Physical education has not achieved the minimum percentages established in secondary school, the main variables that have interfered in these results have been the gender of the adolescents and the contents of the lessons. The results of the studies carried out in Spain have been within the medium threshold. Given the importance of physical activity levels on the health of any individual, further research is needed. It would be appropriate for future studies to be based on the same method to avoid the differences that have been found.

Keywords: physical activity, physical education, moderate or vigorous physical activity (MVPA), adolescence, physical activity level.