Assessment of Physical Activity of Children and Youth in Podkarpackie Voivodeship

One of the more important goals of a modern public health strategy is to increase physical activity. Children should be implemented to spend their free time actively. Physical activity reduces depression, reduces anxiety and fear, and increases human immunity in the event of stressful situations.In order to write the thesis, a research tool was used, which is the author's questionnaire. A total of 100 questionnaires were distributed, of which 96 were submitted, while 4 questionnaires were left blank by students. Gender does not affect physical activity and participation in physical education classes among children and youth from the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. Younger subjects practice physical education more regularly. The conducted research showed that women more often use exemptions from physical education classes than men. Both physical education teacher and parents do not affect the physical activity of children and youth from the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. Most respondents prefer to practice individually or with a friend. Almost half of the respondents believe that physical education classes are at an average level.


Background
The family plays a very important role in the lives of children and young people. It influences the development of interests and habits, participates in upbringing, is responsible for preparing the child to lead a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle is understood as introducing a child to take up physical activity in and out of school, proper nutrition, regular meals, and ensuring that the child never goes to school without breakfast. This lifestyle will contribute to the acquisition of proper habits, and reduce the risk of disorders in the functioning of the child's body 1,2 . Physical activity has a huge impact on human health. It maintains or improves the functioning of the body, helps fight stress and prevents diseases 3,4 . Regular physical activity plays an important role in raising and maintaining physical fitness at the appropriate level 5 . The data presented in the National Health Program show that only about 30% of children and adolescents, and 10% of adults use forms of movement in which the intensity and type of exercise loads meet the basic physiological needs for the body. As much as 57% of students show low activity 6 .
Joint physical activity of the parent and child is a very good opportunity to spend free time together. If adults undertake physical activity through systematic exercise or playing sports, then also children will be more motivated to leave the house and exercise together 1 .
One of the more important goals of a modern public health strategy is to increase physical activity. Children should be implemented to spend their free time actively 6,7 . Nowadays, sick leave from physical education classes are becoming more and more common. Children forcing parents to take time off deprive themselves of the opportunity to discover what sport, fun and competition are.
Sport in childhood has many advantages, first of all, it teaches children to work in a team and learn about their strengths and weaknesses 8 . Children who spend their free time actively, have a better ability to communicate with their peers, strive to meet their goals and needs and are highly sensitive to the other person. The way of spending free time by a child influences the development of his character and attitude to the surrounding environment in which he lives. Active leisure time eliminates negative qualities, including awkwardness, passivity, laziness, while it shapes cordiality, helpfulness and friendship. Physical activity reduces depression, reduces anxiety and fear, and increases human immunity in the event of stressful situations 9,3 . The contemporary improvement of civilization, the popularization of computers and communication means have led society to lead a sedentary lifestyle 10,11 . For this reason, physical activity in children and adolescents has a compensatory function, which consists in replacing a sedentary lifestyle with outdoor exercises and physical education lessons 9,13 . Playing sports at a young age improves accuracy in action, coping with fatigue, shapes the sense of duty, and coping with difficulties 12,13 . Easier people experience successes and failures in their lives 12 . Children who exercise regularly mature faster and have a more resistant body. People who practice little sports experience neurosis as well as behavioral disorders 14 . Sport teaches the rules that should be followed in a given group and cooperation with its friends. It increases self-esteem and greater self-confidence. As a result, young people have self-respect and a better picture of themselves 12 .
Sport combines competition and cooperation components and plays an educational role that prepares young people for adulthood 15 . Physical activity develops most at the age of 6-9 years. In this period, symmetry and shapiness of entire body movements are formed in children 2 . Children show great willingness to move and to spontaneous exercises with their peers. During this time, self-control arises, which is referred to as the golden period of motorism 16 . In the period of 10-13 years, speed, endurance and precision of performed movements become noticeable 2 . The correct level of physical activity for children and adolescents is a balanced intensity effort that is performed every day, at least 60 minutes 15 . The 5 minimum physical activity of a child once a week is 6 hours 16 . Exercises performed at least twice a week should be based on increasing flexibility and muscle strength 13 . These can be exercises outside the school, in the open air, such as cycling, rollerblading or running, as well as physical exertion undertaken at home, games and plays at school, during breaks, physical education lessons or additional sports activities conducted at school 16 .
Extra-curricular and extracurricular activities are organized so that children and young people can spend time actively outside of school. They play a didactic, educational and protective role. These can be SKS classes, sports and recreation events or a school trip. They supplement physical education classes on non-school days. The important thing in these classes is that they are optional, only people who express their willingness participate in them. They can choose the form of physical activity in which they want to participate 8 .

Material and Methods
In order to write the thesis, a research tool was used, which is the author's questionnaire. It consisted of 40 questions, of which the first 5 questions related to the record: gender, age, place of residence, type of school and class attended by the respondent. The next 4 questions concerned the nutritional status of respondents: height, weight, nutrition assessment, and the frequency of eating fast food by respondents. The next 2 questions concerned the subject from which the respondents obtain the best results and their average at the end of the year. The rest of the questions concerned physical activity at school and outside, as well as the type of leisure time spent by respondents.

Organization and the process of data collection
The study group consisted of pupils in Primary School, grades 6

Results
In the study, the vast majority were women 64.6%, while men were 35.4% much less than women. Among the respondents, the age range ranged from 12-14 years, and 18-19 years. Almost as many people aged 12-14 as respondents aged [18][19] participated in the study. Children aged 12-14 years accounted for 51.0%, while youths aged 18-19 accounted for 49.0%. The question was asked, "Do you like to do physical education classes?", The vast majority of the respondents 84.4% answered "yes", while 15.6% of students marked the answer "no". To the question "How often do you practice in physical education classes?" The greater half of the respondents 65.6% ticked "always", 24.0% of students answered that "sometimes", 6.3% of respondents answered "I am fired from PE ", While 4.2% of respondents gave the answer" rarely ". To the question. For what reasons do you usually not do physical education classes? "21.9% ticked" I have no outfit ", 14.6%" I am indisposed ", 13.5%" after infections, infectious diseases ", 11.5% "I don't feel like it", 6.3% "headache". The same 3.1% of respondents answered "I have a long-term sick leave" and "injuries -fractures, sprains, dislocations", 2.1% "anxiety at school".
8.3% of respondents marked the answer "other", in which they mentioned cough, cold, headache, allergies, unpleasant smell in the gym, fresh tattoos, study before the test, as reasons not to exercise in physical education classes. 15.6% of respondents answered "I always exercise".
To the question, "What do you think has the biggest impact on the low attractiveness of physical education classes?" 43.8% of respondents answered "low commitment of colleagues", 13.5% answered that "low commitment of physical education teacher", 12 , 5% "insufficient number of people exercising during physical education classes", 8.3% "lack of proper equipment, e.g. mats, weights", 7.3% "small gym", and 4.2% "small selection of equipment at the gym ". 10.4% of respondents gave "other" answers, in which they mentioned inappropriate behavior of the PE teacher and classmates, unpleasant smell in the room, late hours of PE, a small variety of activities such as swimming pool, skis, ice rink, roller skates. To the question, "How often do you participate in additional sports activities at school?" The greater half of the respondents 55.2% ticked the answer "I do not attend 9 additional sports activities", 28.1% of respondents answered "sometimes if I have time and desire", 9 , 4% of the students answered "I am present in every class, 5.2%" I rarely take part in such classes ", while 2.1% of respondents marked" there are no additional sport activities organized in my school " (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Frequency of participating in additional sports at school
To the question, "What do you like to do in your free time?" 40.6% of students answered "meeting with friends", 38.5% "listening to music", 17.7% "using the computer", 14.6% "Read books", 10.4% "go shopping", 7.3% "go to sports activities", 4.2% "watch TV", 1% "run", while 21.9% of respondents answered " other ", in which they provided drawing, painting, training, sleeping, helping others, playing the guitar, computer games, handball, soccer, basketball, cycling, rollerblading, swimming, acrobatics, gymnastics, horse riding, long walks, watching series and dancing ( Figure 2). When asked, "What do you think is the biggest advantage of physical activity? The vast majority of 54.2% of respondents said that "reduces body fat and prevents obesity" and "improves mood and relieves stress". 34.4% of respondents answered "strengthens muscles and bones", 11.5% "improves concentration", 10.4% "increases resistance to infection". For 6.3% of respondents, the biggest advantage of physical activity is that it 'improves sleep quality'. 2.1% of respondents marked the answer "other", in which they noted weight loss and muscles as well as entertainment.

Discussion
In recent years, a decrease in physical activity has been observed among children and adolescents. Young people prefer to spend most of their time in front of the computer, which is bad for their health. With age, the sedenterial lifestyle becomes more and more popular, which promotes the development of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents 17  eating better. 80% of respondents indicated that they eat healthy food. 21% of boys rated their nutrition as very healthy, 55% healthy, 18% unhealthy, and 6% very unhealthy. 14% of the girls indicated that they eat very healthy, 69% healthy, 16% unhealthy, and 1% very unhealthy 15 .
When assessing the frequency of eating fast food, own research shows that more than half of respondents (51.0%) eat fast food occasionally, 28.1% several times a 11 month, 8.3% 1-2 times a week, 4.2% daily , 7.3% of people do not eat junk food at all. 1% of respondents gave a different answer among those provided. Almost 40% of respondents from the research conducted on children attending music school by participate in them (80%), most often they leave lessons due to illness 19 . According to the research of Wojtyła et al, who studied junior high school students, 96% of students practice physical education classes, as a reason for not exercising they give long-term sick leave due to usually bone diseases, diseases of the circulatory system or allergies 17 . Similarly, Wojtyła-Buciora et al., Examining high school students, showed that 89% of students took part in physical education classes, of which 78% declared that they liked physical education classes. Among 11% of young people not taking part in physical education classes, 93% of students give long-term sick leave as a reason for not exercising because of: musculoskeletal disorders (46%), cardiovascular diseases (16%) and respiratory diseases (6%) 13 .
When assessing the frequency of exercise during physical education classes, own research shows that the majority of respondents (65.6%) always answered the answer, 24.0% sometimes, rarely 4.2%. 6.3% of students declared that they were exempted from physical education classes. Age and place of residence had an impact on the frequency of exercise among children and adolescents. More primary school students (83%) declared that they always practice physical education classes than high school students (49%). Students living in the village are more likely to practice physical education classes than students living in the city. Out of 67 students living in the village, 48 respondents (71.6%) answered that they always exercise, and out of 29 people living in the city, 15 of them (51.7%) gave such an answer. Iliaszeva et al examining younger schoolchildren showed that 95.6% of respondents very often and often participate in physical education classes at school, and only 1.2% of respondents do not practice these classes 21 . Research conducted by Antos et al. Shows that the regularity of participating in physical 13 education classes at upper secondary school youth varied. 64% of respondents declared that they regularly participate in these classes, and 36% do not systematically participate in physical education classes 22 . It follows that physical activity decreases with age. This can be caused by long-term dismissals written by doctors or short-term dismissals written by parents 13 . Dissemination of physical activity and a healthy lifestyle among children and youth necessary to improve the health of the future adult population 20 .

1.
Physical activity of children and youth in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship is good.

2.
In most cases, the respondents eat healthy food. The frequency of eating fast food among the surveyed children and adolescents is not related to the sex, age, place of residence and BMI of the respondents.

3.
The average of students from the last year does not affect the willingness to participate in physical education classes, and it does not contribute to obtaining better results from physical education classes among children and youth in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship.

4.
Both age and place of residence had an impact on taking up physical activity by children and young people in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. Younger respondents are more likely to exercise in physical education classes than high school students. With age, physical activity decreases among respondents.
Respondents living in the village more often do physical education classes than students living in the city. Children who are eager to exercise in physical 14 education classes more often would like to spend more time on physical activity.

5.
Gender does not affect physical activity and participation in physical education classes among children and youth from the Podkarpackie Voivodeship.

6.
Younger respondents practice physical education classes more regularly. The conducted research showed that women more often use exemptions from physical education classes than men.

7.
Both the physical education teacher and parents do not affect the physical activity of children and young people from the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. Most respondents prefer to practice individually or with a friend. Almost half of the respondents believe that physical education classes are at an average level.

BMI -Body Mass Index
Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate: All participants were informed about the study and confidentiality protocols. Informed consent was obtained from all the participants; the study was approved by the ethics committee of Rzeszow University.

Availability of data and materials: Not applicable
Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Funding: Not applicable. "What do you like to do in your free time?"