Determinants of physical activity and physical and sports activities in French school children

The influence of morphological, biological, sociological, psychological, and environmental factors on the practice of organized sports and the amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity was examined through a questionnaire and continuous heart-rate monitoring, for 80 schoolchildren, 11 to 16 years old. Sport-practicing boys had a lower percentage of fat mass. Sport-practicing girls had more frequently sport-practicing mothers and higher scores on achievement motivation than nonsport-practicing girls. Active boys had more frequently sport-practicing fathers than inactive boys. No statistically significant correlation was found between moderate to vigorous physical activity and organized sports. Those children who are the most involved in organized sports are thus not necessarily the most active ones.