Level of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Sleep in the Child and Adolescent Population in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country (6-17 Years Old): Protocol for the Mugikertu Study

Arkaitz Larrinaga-Undabarrena; Neritzel Albisua; Xabier Río; Garazi Angulo-Garay; Xabier González-Santamaria; Iker Etxeberria Atxa; Gorka Martínez de Lahidalga Aguirre; Malen Ruiz de Azua Larrinaga; Aitor Martínez Aguirre-Betolaza; Ilargi Gorostegi-Anduaga; Sara Maldonado-Martín; Juan Aldaz Arregui; Myriam Guerra-Balic; Mikel Bringas; José Ramón Sánchez Isla; Aitor Coca

doi:10.2196/31325

Level of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Sleep in the Child and Adolescent Population in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country (6-17 Years Old): Protocol for the Mugikertu Study

JMIR Res Protoc. 2022 Mar 11;11(3):e31325. doi: 10.2196/31325.

Authors

Arkaitz Larrinaga-Undabarrena^#^{1

2}, Neritzel Albisua^#^{3

4}, Xabier Río^#^{1

2}, Garazi Angulo-Garay¹, Xabier González-Santamaria^#¹, Iker Etxeberria Atxa^#⁴, Gorka Martínez de Lahidalga Aguirre^#⁴, Malen Ruiz de Azua Larrinaga^#⁴, Aitor Martínez Aguirre-Betolaza^#^{1

5}, Ilargi Gorostegi-Anduaga^#⁵, Sara Maldonado-Martín^#⁵, Juan Aldaz Arregui^#⁶, Myriam Guerra-Balic^#⁷, Mikel Bringas^#⁸, José Ramón Sánchez Isla^#^{9

10}, Aitor Coca^#¹

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Education and Sport, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain.
² Department of Physical Activity and Health, Osasuna Mugimendua Kontrola SL Mugikon, Bilbao, Spain.
³ Mondragón Unibertsitatea, Arrasate, Spain.
⁴ Athlon Cooperative Society, Arrasate, Spain.
⁵ Faculty of Education and Sport, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria, Spain.
⁶ Faculty of Law, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria, Spain.
⁷ Faculty of Psychology, Education and Sport Sciences - Blanquerna, University Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain.
⁸ Directorate of Physical Activity and Sports, Basque Government, Vitoria, Spain.
⁹ Health and Consumption Department, Bilbao Council/Ayuntamiento de Bilbao, Bilbao, Spain.
¹⁰ Faculty of Health and Sciences, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain.

^# Contributed equally.

PMID: 35275088
PMCID: PMC8957001
DOI: 10.2196/31325

Abstract

Background: Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior are increasingly common problems in the general population, which can lead to overweight, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and decreased motor and cognitive capacity among children and adolescents. Establishing healthy habits in childhood on the basis of the World Health Organization's 2020 Physical Activity Guidelines is essential for proper physical, motor, and cognitive development.

Objective: The primary aim of this study is to describe the level of physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior, and sleep of the child and adolescent population from 6 to 17 years of age in the Basque Autonomous Community (BAC). Our secondary aim is to establish a starting point for future research and intervention protocols to improve the existing reality.

Methods: This cross-sectional study aims to recruit 1111 children and adolescents, aged 6 to 17 years from the BAC in a representative random sample. Participants will wear the ActiGraph WGT3X-BT triaxial accelerometer for 7 consecutive days in their nondominant wrist, and fill out a habit diary log of PA, mobility, and sleep routine. PA intensities, sedentary behavior, and sleep parameters (total bedtime, total sleep time, and sleep efficiency) will be calculated from raw accelerometer data using SPSS (IBM Corp). Participants will be randomly selected.

Results: The results of this study intend to demonstrate significant differences in PA levels in different age and gender groups since the volume of school PA in the BAC decreases as the age of the schoolchildren increases. The total study sample includes 1111 participants. In April 2021, up to 50% of the sample size was reached, which is expected to increase to 100% by April 2022. This sample will allow us to analyze, discuss, compare, and assess the reality of the school population, in a sensitive period of adherence to behavior patterns, using data from the geographical and administrative area of the BAC. This study will provide a realistic insight into PA levels among children and adolescents in the BAC. It will also offer scientific contributions on the positive relationship between PA levels and sleep quality in this population.

Conclusions: This study might highlight the need for the promotion of cross-sectional policies so that children and adolescents may increase their levels of PA, thus improving both the school environment and positive healthy behavior.

Trial registration: ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN65573865; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN65573865.

International registered report identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/31325.

Keywords: Basque Autonomous Community; accelerometry; adolescents; children; healthy behavior; mobility; physical activity; sedentary behavior; sleep.

©Arkaitz Larrinaga-Undabarrena, Neritzel Albisua, Xabier Río, Garazi Angulo-Garay, Xabier González-Santamaria, Iker Etxeberria Atxa, Gorka Martínez de Lahidalga Aguirre, Malen Ruiz de Azua Larrinaga, Aitor Martínez Aguirre-Betolaza, Ilargi Gorostegi-Anduaga, Sara Maldonado-Martín, Juan Aldaz Arregui, Myriam Guerra-Balic, Mikel Bringas, José Ramón Sánchez Isla, Aitor Coca. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 11.03.2022.