The study, published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, followed 978 residents of São Paulo between 2014 and 2024. Researchers collected information during three assessment periods: 2014–2015, 2020–2021, and 2023–2024. The investigation was led by researchers associated with the University of São Paulo, including Andreia Alexandra Machado Miranda of the Center for Epidemiological Research in Nutrition and Health and Alex Antonio Florindo of the School of Arts, Sciences, and Humanities.

Rather than examining social characteristics separately, the researchers used an intersectional approach. This method considers how multiple aspects of identity and social position—such as sex, race or skin color, and educational attainment—combine to influence people’s opportunities and experiences. To quantify these overlapping disadvantages, the team applied a Multiple Jeopardy Index, with scores ranging from zero, representing the least vulnerable group, to four, representing the most vulnerable.

The contrast between the most and least advantaged groups became more pronounced during the study. At the beginning, 51% of highly educated white men reported engaging in physical activity during leisure time, compared with 29% of Black, Brown, Asian, or Indigenous women with lower levels of education. By the third assessment, participation had increased to 65% among the more advantaged group and 39% among the most vulnerable. Although both groups became more active, the difference between them widened from 22 to 26 percentage points.

The researchers argue that the pattern reflects structural barriers rather than a simple difference in interest. Women often perform a disproportionate share of unpaid domestic and caregiving work, leaving less time for sports or exercise. They may also earn lower wages and have fewer resources for gym memberships, organized sports, or transportation to recreational facilities. In many neighborhoods, particularly on the outskirts of São Paulo, poorly lit streets, limited green space, inadequate infrastructure, and concerns about personal safety further restrict access to outdoor activity.

“These inequalities persisted and the gap between groups widened over ten years,” Miranda said. “Leisure-time physical activity remains a privilege of the most socially advantaged groups.” The researchers emphasize that public health strategies focused only on individual behavior are unlikely to close this gap. Their analysis is based on an ecological model of physical activity, which recognizes that behavior is influenced by social support, family circumstances, the built environment, transportation systems, and government policy as well as personal preference.

The study also examined walking as a form of transportation, particularly walking associated with commuting. In contrast to leisure-time exercise, transport-related physical activity showed no statistically significant relationship with the social vulnerability index. Overall, the proportion of participants who walked for transportation rose from 61.8% in the first assessment to 71.6% in the third. This form of activity was most common among young Black or mixed-race men with a high school education.

The difference may reflect the role of necessity in everyday mobility. Walking to work or to public transport is often determined by household income, access to vehicles, public transit routes, and the location of employment rather than by a deliberate decision to exercise. Neighborhood design can also influence whether walking is practical and safe. Because commuting is built into daily routines, the researchers suggest that policies improving sidewalks, public transit connections, street lighting, and pedestrian safety could increase physical activity without requiring people to find additional leisure time.

The findings have significance beyond São Paulo. The World Health Organization recommends that adults complete 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity each week. Yet an estimated 1.8 billion adults—nearly one-third of the global adult population—failed to meet those recommendations in 2022. Physical inactivity is associated with higher risks of cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, unhealthy weight gain, and other chronic conditions, while sedentary lifestyles are linked to approximately five million deaths each year.

Brazil faces the same challenge. Data from the Ministry of Health’s 2024 VIGITEL surveillance system indicate that 42.3% of adults achieved at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week. The proportion was 47.7% among men and 37.9% among women. Brazil aims to raise the national figure to 50.7% by 2030, but the São Paulo study indicates that progress will depend on addressing unequal access to opportunities for movement. The researchers point to measures such as expanding safe public spaces, improving infrastructure in vulnerable districts, supporting active transportation, and investing in cycling networks. Previous research by Florindo’s group found that having a bike lane within 500 meters of a residence significantly increased the likelihood that residents would cycle. The new study concludes that health promotion will be most effective when urban planning and social policy are designed to prioritize people facing the greatest barriers to physical activity.

Subject of Research: Social inequalities in leisure-time and transport-related physical activity in São Paulo, Brazil.

Article Title: Social inequalities in leisure-time and transport-related physical activity through the lens of intersectionality: 10-year longitudinal study in Brazil

News Publication Date: 5 May 2026

Web References: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-026-01900-5; https://www.agencia.fapesp.br/en

References: International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, DOI: 10.1186/s12966-026-01900-5.

Image Credits: Cecília Bastos/USP Imagens

Keywords: physical activity, exercise inequality, public health, intersectionality, São Paulo, Brazil, sedentary lifestyle, active transportation, urban planning, health equity

Crucially, the research employed state-of-the-art wearable accelerometer technology, meticulously collecting activity data from children over an average span of 25 school days. This technological approach allowed for precise quantification of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), alongside step count metrics, illuminating nuanced behavioral trends that simple observational methods might miss. The sheer breadth of this data collection ranks this as the largest empirical assessment of its nature within England, offering an unprecedented lens into spatial and social determinants of child physical activity.

Among the emergent findings, a sobering revelation stands out: only about 30% of pupils achieved the recommended minimum of 30 minutes of MVPA during the school day. This finding spotlights a systemic challenge within school physical activity promotion. Intriguingly, the study revealed drastic inter-school variation, with some schools recording averages as low as 8 minutes of MVPA per child, whereas others exceeded 40 minutes, marking a fivefold difference. Step counts echoed this range-wide disparity, fluctuating from a mere 1,800 steps to upwards of 10,000 steps per pupil daily.

Socioeconomic factors featured prominently in shaping physical activity patterns. Children attending schools categorized by higher deprivation levels—measured by the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals—engaged in around 25 fewer minutes of MVPA weekly. This signals entrenched health inequities manifesting even during hours intended to provide equitable activity opportunities. These deprivation-linked disparities corroborate broader public health concerns about uneven access to resources and structured activity across socioeconomically stratified communities.

A particularly nuanced aspect of the study was the examination of gender differences in physical activity. While boys generally exhibited greater activity levels, the gender gap was far from uniform. Remarkably, in approximately 5% of schools, girls surpassed boys in MVPA metrics, and several other schools revealed minimal disparity between genders. This finding interrogates longstanding stereotypes that boys are inherently more active and underscores the influence of school culture and leadership in shaping equitable physical activity environments.

Counterintuitively, playground size was not correlated with increased physical activity. This challenges the simplistic assumption that a larger outdoor space naturally fosters greater movement. Instead, this suggests that qualitative factors—such as the organization of play, activity facilitation, and cultural emphasis on movement—may be the true drivers of pupil activity. These insights call for a reevaluation of infrastructure-focused interventions that neglect behavioral and pedagogical dimensions.

The presence of active teachers emerged as a salient predictor of pupil activity levels, illuminating the multifaceted role of school staff in modeling and encouraging exercise. Schools with more physically engaged teachers tended to have children who were themselves more active, indicating that staff behavior and school leadership dynamics can substantially influence student health behaviors. This highlights the ecological nature of physical activity promotion within educational settings.

Lead author Georgina Wort, from the University of Bath’s Department for Health, emphasized the public health implications of these findings. She underscored that while policy frameworks are uniform, real-world implementations and outcomes are heterogeneous, leading to unequal health and wellbeing benefits among children. Wort noted that the large variability in activity levels calls attention to the urgent need to reassess and tailor intervention strategies comprehensively.

The research also adds to mounting evidence of persistent health inequalities, particularly illuminating how structural barriers limit physical activity for children in economically disadvantaged contexts. The study’s findings stress that these inequities cannot be resolved through environmental changes alone, such as increasing playground dimensions, but require multifaceted approaches addressing socioeconomic determinants and school culture.

Professor Dylan Thompson, co-author from the University’s Department for Health, proposed novel uses of wearable activity trackers not just as research tools but as practical educational instruments. He suggested that real-time data could help teachers to identify and support less active pupils, as well as pinpoint sedentary periods within the school schedule. Such data-driven approaches could empower schools to create targeted, effective interventions and foster peer learning between schools of differing activity levels.

The reflections of Tim Hollingsworth, Professor of Practice in Sport and former Chief Executive of Sport England, highlighted a broader societal failure to prioritize children’s health and activity adequately. He advocated for comprehensive shifts that extend beyond formal sports provision, emphasizing the need for whole-school engagement in physical activity promotion throughout the entire school day. Hollingsworth’s perspective resonates with the study’s findings, underscoring the critical role of teacher empowerment and cultural change in reversing current trends.

Funded by the Economic & Social Research Council’s South West Doctoral Training Partnership, this pivotal study further cements the role of interdisciplinary, data-informed educational health research. By bridging quantitative data acquisition with actionable insights, the project sets a new benchmark for understanding and addressing physical activity inequities in childhood—a fundamental step towards mitigating long-term public health burdens associated with sedentary behavior and childhood obesity.

With the publication appearing in the esteemed Journal of Physical Activity and Health, this research invites policymakers, educators, and health professionals to reconsider strategies for promoting equitable physical activity. It calls for integrated frameworks blending behavioral science, educational policy, and community engagement to deliver consistent opportunities for meaningful physical movement to every child, irrespective of their socioeconomic or geographic context.

Subject of Research: Variability in physical activity levels among primary school children during school hours across England, focusing on demographic, socioeconomic, and school-related determinants.

Article Title: Using Data-Driven Insights to Explore the Variability in Pupils’ Physical Activity Between English Primary Schools

News Publication Date: 24-Sep-2025

Web References: http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2024-0868

Keywords: Children, Health disparity, Physical exercise, Public health, Sports, Social sciences, Education policy, Educational facilities, Education research, Obesity, Childhood obesity

Sports participation during adolescence transcends mere physical exertion; it forms a complex interplay of psychological, social, and physiological processes that collectively mold an individual’s developmental trajectory. While extant literature acknowledges that being physically active supports cardiovascular health, bone density, and mental health, it often neglects subtler dimensions such as how motivational factors, social environment, and access disparities influence who participates and who does not. This gap in nuanced insight undermines efforts to design effective interventions tailored to diversify and increase sports engagement among youth.

Epidemiologically, physical inactivity ranks as a leading contributor to non-communicable diseases globally, with patterns often solidified during adolescent years. Yet, the distribution of sports participation is markedly heterogeneous across demographic and socioeconomic lines. Agostinete et al. emphasize the urgency to dissect these disparities rigorously, highlighting that simplistic metrics such as frequency or duration of sports engagement fail to capture the qualitative elements—like intensity, type, and social context—that significantly bear on health outcomes.

Importantly, adolescent sports participation is not merely an individual choice but is embedded in broader systems — educational institutions, community infrastructure, family dynamics, and cultural norms. The authors argue that prevailing research insufficiently accounts for these systemic factors, which can either facilitate or inhibit access to sports. For instance, schools with underfunded physical education programs or environments lacking safe recreational spaces create substantial barriers, disproportionately impacting marginalized populations.

Technologically induced lifestyle changes add layers of complexity to the adolescent activity landscape. With the surge in screen time and virtual social interactions, sedentary behaviors are rising, often at the expense of traditional physical pursuits, including organized sports. The authors suggest leveraging emerging technologies—such as wearable activity trackers and mobile health applications—to gain more granulated, real-time data on adolescent physical activity patterns, thereby informing more dynamic studies and intervention designs.

Psychosocial benefits of sports participation during adolescence extend well beyond physical health, encompassing improved self-esteem, social connectedness, and cognitive development. These multifactorial benefits, however, can manifest variably depending on context and individual experiences. Agostinete and colleagues advocate for interdisciplinary approaches combining biomechanics, psychology, sociology, and public health to capture this spectrum comprehensively.

A critical technical challenge in studying adolescent sports participation lies in defining and standardizing metrics. Traditional epidemiological tools often focus on binary categorizations of ‘active’ versus ‘inactive,’ neglecting the spectrum of engagement intensities and types—from informal play to competitive sports. Advanced analytical frameworks integrating accelerometry data, heart rate variability, and subjective reporting promise a richer, more precise characterization of activity profiles.

Furthermore, the temporal dynamics of sports participation in adolescence warrant explicit consideration. Adolescence is a period marked by rapid growth, hormonal fluctuations, and evolving social roles, all of which can influence motivation and capacity for sports. Longitudinal studies—currently sparse—are essential to map these trajectories and to identify critical windows for intervention. Such studies should also factor in potential risks, such as injury incidence and the psychological pressure that may accompany competitive sports.

Another layer of urgency stems from the global rise in adolescent mental health challenges, notably anxiety and depression. Emerging data point toward sports participation as a potentially potent, yet underutilized, preventive and therapeutic measure. However, optimizing sports programs for mental health benefits requires an in-depth grasp of the mechanisms linking physical activity to neurochemical and psychosocial pathways, an area the researchers underscore as inadequately studied.

Socioeconomic gradients profoundly affect access to organized sports and recreational opportunities. The study presses for robust data on how economic factors, urban versus rural residency, and cultural attitudes converge to produce diverse participation patterns. Public health strategies must therefore integrate policy designs that dismantle structural inequities, ranging from subsidy programs to community-driven sports initiatives.

The educational sector emerges as an especially critical platform for intervention. Schools not only provide infrastructure and scheduled opportunities for sports but also shape adolescent attitudes and skills. The researchers highlight that current curricular models often marginalize physical education or fail to adapt to diverse student needs, thus missing chances to foster lifelong engagement in physical activity.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the disruption to organized sports has illuminated vulnerabilities and resilience factors among adolescent populations. Agostinete and colleagues suggest that future research should consider the pandemic’s long-term effects on sports participation, including shifts in motivation, access, and mental health outcomes. This global natural experiment offers an unprecedented opportunity to glean insights into how external shocks affect adolescent physical activity behavior.

The methodological landscape of adolescent sports research would benefit from integrative models synthesizing qualitative and quantitative data streams. This could involve ethnographic approaches capturing lived experiences alongside biosensor data and large-scale epidemiological surveillance. Such multidimensional methodologies can unravel the complex causal webs underlying sports participation and its outcomes.

Importantly, the researchers caution against one-size-fits-all models. Adolescents are not a monolithic group; gender, ethnicity, cultural background, and personal interests dynamically shape their engagement in sports. Customizing programs to accommodate these intersections improves efficacy and equity of sports promotion efforts.

Finally, the call from Agostinete et al. is clear: a concerted and multidisciplinary research agenda is urgently needed to illuminate the multifaceted realities of adolescent sports participation. Only with this expanded knowledge base can stakeholders—including policymakers, educators, healthcare providers, and communities—design interventions that not only increase participation rates but do so in ways that maximize physical, mental, and social health benefits for all adolescents.

Subject of Research:
Sports participation in adolescents and the multifactorial determinants and impacts on adolescent health.

Article Title:
We need to know more, much more about sports participation in adolescents.

Article References:
Agostinete, R.R., Almeida-Correa, V., Ribeiro-de-Oliveira, A.V. et al. We need to know more, much more about sports participation in adolescents. Pediatr Res (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-025-04240-5

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1038/s41390-025-04240-5

Keywords: adolescent health, sports participation, physical activity, mental health, epidemiology, socioeconomic disparities, public health, physical education, longitudinal studies