Physical activity among adolescents from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds: Findings from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children.

Abstract

This study examined longitudinal changes in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) and non-CALD adolescents. Data were drawn from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, conducted in Australia between 2010 and 2018, focusing on participants aged 10-15 years. CALD status was determined based on parental birthplace and main language spoken at home. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were assessed using time use diaries, with generalised estimating equation models used to analyse longitudinal changes. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity declined significantly over time among CALD adolescents compared to their non-CALD counterparts (CALD girls: coefficient = -17.54, 95 % CI: -23.97 to -11.11; CALD boys: coefficient = -18.23, 95 % CI: -25.30 to -11.17). At each time point, CALD girls exhibited the lowest minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels among all other age groups, with mean values of 73.41 (95 % CI: 67.11-79.71) at 10-11 years, 52.91 (95 % CI: 47.20-58.61) at 12-13 years, and 37.26 (95 % CI: 32.05-42.46) at 14-15 years. The consistently lower levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among CALD adolescents, especially girls, highlight the need for culturally tailored interventions to address cultural and language barriers, to promote greater physical activity participation among this population.