Mais ativos, menos seguros? Prevalência do deslocamento ativo em contextos marcados pela violência no entorno escolar: uma análise a partir da pense 2019

Abstract

Active commuting is a utilitarian form of physical activity that can contribute to health promotion among adolescents. However, the context in which this behavior occurs must be considered, as it may involve environments perceived as unsafe. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the prevalence of active commuting among Brazilian adolescent students in settings with varying perceived levels of school neighborhood violence. Data were obtained from 158,309 students enrolled in 4,242 public and private schools across Brazil, who participated in the 2019 edition of the Brazilian National School Health Survey (PeNSE 2019). Active commuting to and/or from school was categorized as active (≥ 5 days per week) or non-active. Eight questions regarding school neighborhood violence, extracted from the questionnaire administered to school principals, were reduced to two dimensions using Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA), followed by cluster analysis, classifying school environments into three categories: low, moderate, and high perceived violence. Poisson regression models, adjusted for potential confounders and incorporating the complex survey design through the survey package, were used to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) across clusters. Robbery/muggings (81.9% at least once), drug dealing (72.5%), and physical assaults (55.9%) were the most frequently reported types of violence. Regarding active commuting, about half of the students (50.1% [95% CI: 48.4–51.7]) reported engaging in it five or more days per week. Students attending schools classified in the highest violence cluster had a 29% higher prevalence of active commuting (PR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.17–1.43) compared to those in the lowest violence cluster. Exploratory analysis indicated higher prevalence in the states of Espírito Santo (PR = 2.36; 95% CI: 1.79–3.13), Ceará (PR = 1.65; 95% CI: 1.24–2.18), and Roraima (PR = 1.65; 95% CI: 1.26–2.17). In conclusion, active commuting to and from school is a common form of physical activity among Brazilian students, with higher prevalence among those attending schools located in areas with high perceived neighborhood violence. These findings underscore the importance of considering environmental and public safety conditions when developing strategies to promote physical activity among young populations.