Background: This study was carried out to assess physical activity level and identify associated factors among higher secondary school students in Banke district, Nepal.
Methods: A school-based, cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 405 students studying in grades 11 and 12 in 7 higher secondary schools selected randomly. A self-administered questionnaire based on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to measure physical activity level.
Results: Only 5% of students were found to be inactive, and domestic and transport-related activities were major contributors to total physical activity score. No significant difference existed for total physical activity and domain-specific and activity-specific scores across different age groups when males and females were tested separately. Being male (P = .046), lower economic status (P = .026), living at a distance of less than 30 minutes (P = .007), walking/cycling to school (P < .001), and studying in government school (P < .001) were associated with increased physical activity scores on multivariate logistic regression analysis.
Conclusion: Routine activities such as transport and household chores contributed greatly to total physical activity among students. This study highlights the need for physical activity promotion interventions at school addressing the associated factors and a need for greater focus on leisure-time physical activities.