Afif Rusdiawan, Oce Wiriawan, Donny Ardy Kusuma, Awang Firmansyah, Azmawaty Mohamad Nor, Labib Siena Ar Rasyid
This study aimed to assess gender differences and correlates of physical activity (PA) among children in East Java, Indonesia. An observational population-based cross-sectional study was conducted on a representative sample of children (n = 900, mean age 13.27±0.97) in East Java. The instrument used in this study was the Children’s Physical Activity Questionnaire, which measured the level of physical activity with high reliability (Kappa = 0.67–0.73) and moderate validity (r = 0.48). Boys reported higher engagement than girls in sport activities, school activities, and other activities, all differences being statistically significant (p = 0.000). Leisure time activities were slightly higher in boys, but this difference was not significant (p = 0.083). Overall CPAQ scores were also higher in boys (2.51 vs. 2.33, p = 0.000), indicating that boys generally had higher levels of physical activity than girls. In conclusion, girls are less likely than boys to engage in PA. Therefore, there is a need to consider the provision of a comprehensive multifaceted health behavior modification and interventions, such as targeted and regular physical education in schools. © Copyright 2025: Publication Service of the University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Indonesia; University of Malaya, Malaysia
