The Association Between Physical Activity and Physical Literacy Among Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study

This study examined the association between physical activity (PA) patterns and physical literacy (PL) among adolescents in Shanghai, China. The researchers conducted a cross-sectional survey between December 2021 and February 2022. They recruited 1624 adolescents aged 11 to 18 from schools in various districts of Shanghai using stratified sampling. Out of these, 1500 provided complete and valid questionnaires for analysis. The researchers assessed PL using a validated adolescent Physical Literacy Questionnaire and measured PA with an updated PA questionnaire that included school-based, household, transportation, and leisure activities. The demographic factors considered included gender, school stage, academic performance, and family socioeconomic status (SES). Two-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and multiple linear regression analyses were used to explore group differences and the connections between PA and PL. The MANOVA results showed significant differences in PA based on gender (F(1,1498) = 7.94, p < 0.001) and school stage (F(1,1498) = 9.79, p < 0.001). However, no significant differences were found concerning academic performance (F(1,1498) = 2.12, p = 0.081) or SES (F(1,1498) = 1.90, p = 0.072). On the other hand, PL varied significantly by school stage (F(1,1498) = 9.55, p < 0.001), academic performance (F(1,1498) = 8.84, p < 0.05), and SES (F(1,1498) = 7.94, p < 0.05), but not by gender (F(1,1498) = 1.90, p = 0.121). Furthermore, multiple regression analyses revealed that involvement in school-based, transportation, and leisure-time PA was positively associated with adolescents’ PL, whereas household PA was not. These findings suggest that adolescents’ participation in PA and their PL vary among different demographic groups. Additionally, different PA contexts are associated with varying degrees of PL development. Because of the cross-sectional nature of the study, these findings should be seen as associative rather than indicating a causal relationship. Programs that encourage participation in school-based, transportation, and leisure activities may help improve adolescents’ physical literacy.