• Danilo Rodrigues Pereira da Silva, André Oliveira Werneck, Paul Collings, Rômulo Araújo Fernandes, Enio Ricardo Vaz Ronque, Luís Bettencourt Sardinha, and Edilson Serpeloni Cyrino.
• PhD. Adjunct Professor, Department of Physical Education, Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFS), São Cristóvão (SE), Brazil.
• Sao Paulo Med J. 2019 Jan 1; 137 (4): 329335329-335.

BackgroundAlthough the benefits of physical activity are clear, adherence to physical activity programs is a challenge, especially during transitional phases of life.ObjectiveWe aimed to identify adolescents who were more likely to drop out from physical activity and sports participation, from childhood to adolescence.Design And SettingThis was a cross-sectional study on retrospective data regarding childhood activity among 803 Brazilian adolescents. The study was conducted at public schools in Londrina, Paraná, in 2011.MethodsHabitual physical activity, sports participation during childhood, parental physical activity, socioeconomic status and perception of social relationships were self-reported. Cardiorespiratory fitness was estimated via a 20-m shuttle-run test and somatic maturation was estimated from the age at peak height velocity.ResultsOur results provided evidence that girls (physical activity: odds ratio, OR: 4.37 [95% confidence interval, CI: 1.86-10.3]; sports: OR: 2.65 [95% CI: 1.39-5.05]) and adolescents with low cardiorespiratory fitness (physical activity: OR: 1.77 [95% CI: 1.13-2.78]; sports: OR: 1.62 [95% CI: 1.15-2.26]) were more likely to drop out from active behaviors. Children with inactive mothers and inactive fathers (OR: 3.55 [95% CI: 1.12-11.3]) also showed a higher dropout rate from physical activity. Adolescents with negative perceptions of friendships (OR: 2.33 [95% CI: 1.21-4.47]) were more likely to drop out from sports.ConclusionsHigher dropout rates from active lifestyles during childhood were observed among girls and adolescents with low cardiorespiratory fitness. Parental inactivity and negative perceptions of friendships were also potential risk factors for discontinuation of childhood physical activity and sports.

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