Nicolas Aguilar-Farias

University of La Frontera · Department of Physical Education, Sports and Recreation

Background: There is limited evidence about emotional and behavioral responses in toddlers and preschoolers during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, particularly in Latin America. Objective: To assess associations between changes in movement behaviors (physical activity, screen time and sleeping) and emotional changes in toddlers and presc...

Global changes require urgent integration of health and wellbeing into all urban policies. Complex social and environmental factors define wellbeing outcomes and inequities present in cities. Additionally, political decisions are seldom thought and developed considering the needs and participation of children and adolescents. The REDibuja study aim...

Little is currently known about young children’s perceptions and experiences of 24-hour movement behaviours (physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep), yet their voices play an important role in contributing to our understanding and ensuring that appropriate action is taken to promote healthy behaviours. With the release of the World Health Or...

This is an overview of the results from 14 countries or jurisdictions in a Global Matrix of Para Report Cards on physical activity (PA) of children and adolescents with disabilities. The methodology was based on the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance’s Global Matrix 4.0. Data were aligned with 10 indicators (Overall PA, Organized Sport, Active Pla...

Purpose To summarize the results of Chile's 2022 Report Card (RC) on physical activity (PA) for Children and Adolescents. Methods Chile's 2022 RC included ten core PA indicators common to the Global Matrix 4.0. Evidence from scientific articles, reports, and databases published between 2018 and January 2022 was included for each indicator. The dat...

O objetivo do presente estudo foi descrever a prevalência de participação em aulas de Educação Física (EF) entre adolescentes sul americanos de acordo com correlatos sociodemográficos. Foram utilizados dados de 11 países sul-americanos, compreendendo 173.288 adolescentes (>11 a 19 anos). A participação em aulas de EF foi autorrelatada (0, 1, 2 e ≥3...

Background : Global initiatives have been put in place to attain a thorough understanding of worldwide variations in physical activity (PA) among children and adolescents. Yet, there is limited knowledge about PA-related indicators, specifically for children and adolescents with disabilities (CAWD). To bridge this data gap, the Global Matrix of Par...

This study aimed to evaluate the reliability, reproducibility, and feasibility of the Youth Activity Profile Questionnaire (YAP-SL) in the Chilean version (YAP-C) in a sample of children and adolescents. This cross-sectional study included 160 youth, 59 children (5–11 years old), and 101 adolescents (12–17 years old) from the city of Viña del Mar (...

Background The actions required to achieve higher-quality and harmonised global surveillance of child and adolescent movement behaviours (physical activity, sedentary behaviour including screen time, sleep) are unclear. Objective To identify how to improve surveillance of movement behaviours, from the perspective of experts. Methods This Delphi S...

La actividad física es buena para nuestros corazones, cuerpos y mentes. La actividad física realizada de forma regular puede mejorar la salud cardíaca, vascular, metabólica y ósea, así como también puede mejorar la capacidad física y reducir el tejido adiposo en niños, niñas y adolescentes (1). Ser físicamente activo puede mejorar la salud mental,...

Objective To determine how cognitive domains mediate the link between fitness components, their global score (GFS), and adolescents’ academic achievement (ACA) across various school subjects. Methods In this study, 1,296 adolescents aged 10–14 participated. GFS was computed by three fitness components (strength, muscular, and cardiorespiratory fit...

Background: Previous infection with Adenovirus-36 (HAdv-D36) has been associated with adipogenesis and glycemic regulation in cell culture and animal models. In humans, HAdv-D36 antibodies correlate with increased obesity risk yet paradoxically enhance glycemic control across various demographics. This study assesses the association of HAdv-D36 ser...

The development of motor competence is thought to be a crucial precursor to raising the trajectory of PA throughout a person’s life. The objectives of this study are to determine motor competence and the daily time of moderate and vigorous physical activity of students in 5th and 6th grade elementary in Chile, and to establish whether there are dif...

Background. The correlation between parental and child physical activity levels has been the subject of significant investigation. Existing research has illuminated this association, particularly emphasising its influence during childhood. However, as children transition into adolescence, this relationship appears to weaken. Despite the recognised...

El Ministerio de Salud de Chile ha presentado la Estrategia para Detener la Aceleración del Sobrepeso y Obesidad en la Niñez y Adolescencia 2023-2030, enfocada en abordar las alarmantes cifras de prevalencia de obesidad infantil y juvenil. Según datos del sistema público de salud, el sobrepeso afectó al 22,44% y la obesidad al 14,06% de niños menor...

Background Physical inactivity is prevalent in childhood. Schools can be an ideal context to promote the regular practice of physical activity since children spend there a large part of the day. In this sense, an emerging and current trend is active breaks at school. This article presents a study protocol that seeks to assess the feasibility and ef...

Excessive adolescent sedentary behaviors (SBs) may affect cognitive-academic achievements; however, findings vary according to the SB evaluated and their mental requirements. This study aimed to understand the multi- variate association between different SBs and diverse cognitive-academic achievements as a primary analysis. As a secondary one, we d...

Physical inactivity is a major health concern, associated with the development of several non-communicable diseases and with an increased mortality rate. Therefore, promoting active lifestyles has become a crucial public health necessity for enhancing overall health and quality of life. The WHO guidelines for physical activity (PA) present valuable...

Purpose This study aimed to determine the test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF) in Chilean adults. Methods A cross-sectional validation study was carried out on 161 adults aged between 35 and 65, selected from a population-based study in Temuco, Chile. IPAQ-SF was...

Background Improving health of children and adolescents is crucial for their overall development. Therefore, it is essential to explore factors that may influence their health at both the public health and school system levels. Objective This study compares physical fitness components and waist-height-to-ratio (WHtR) in adolescents according to sc...

Background People with disabilities usually face barriers to regularly engaging in physical activities. Estimating physical activity patterns are necessary to elaborate policies and strategies to facilitate active lifestyles, considering the particular access difficulties experienced by this population. Purpose This study aimed (i) to describe the...

Background: To estimate the prevalence of different physical activity (PA) domains and sitting time (ST), and to analyze the association with sociodemographic indicators. Methods: Data from the most recent nationally representative survey from each of the South American countries, comprising 155,790 adults (18-64 y), were used. Data on leisure-t...

Obesity is among the most complex public health challenges, particularly in Latin America, where obesity rates have increased faster than in any other region. Many countries have proposed or enacted comprehensive policies to promote adequate diet and physical activity under a structural framework. We summarize articles discussing the scope and impa...

Background: As a key factor for the prevention of childhood obesity, WHO recommends a specific balance of movement behaviours (ie, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep) across the 24-h day for children younger than 5 years. Substantial evidence underpins our understanding of the benefits for healthy growth and development; however, li...

Movement behaviors (physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep) have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We report changes in and factors that influenced movement behaviors during COVID-19 among Latin American/Latino children aged 1 to 5 years in Chile, Mexico, and the USA. We conducted a cross-sectional study between April and August 202...

Background: The Global Matrix 4.0 on physical activity (PA) for children and adolescents was developed to achieve acomprehensive understanding of the global variation in children’s and adolescents’ (5–17 y) PA, related measures, and keysources of influence. The objectives of this article were (1) to summarize the findings from the Global Matrix 4.0...

Background: The Global Matrix 4.0 on physical activity (PA) for children and adolescents was developed to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the global variation in children’s and adolescents’ (5–17 y) PA, related measures, and key sources of influence. The objectives of this article were (1) to summarize the findings from the Global Matrix 4...

Background: The Global Matrix 4.0 on physical activity (PA) for children and adolescents was developed to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the global variation in children's and adolescents' (5-17 y) PA, related measures, and key sources of influence. The objectives of this article were (1) to summarize the findings from the Global Matrix...

(1) Background: In this study, we aimed to determine differences in the levels of motor competence according to biological factors (sex, age and weight status) and sociocultural factors (socioeconomic level and belonging to an indigenous people or not) in students of the La Araucanía Region, Chile. (2) Methods: A total of 552 students in 5th and 6t...

Background: Physical environment can influence well-being, quality of life and health and population health in several ways. Exposure to green spaces improves the physical and mental health of individuals. Chile has privileged conditions for outdoor activities that could benefit millions of people. However, a small percentage of the Chilean populat...

Objective The aim of this study was to compare academic achievement, cognitive performance, playtime, bullying, and discrimination in adolescents according to traditional uniforms (TUs) and sports uniforms (SUs) worn at school, while simultaneously exploring the influence of the school vulnerability index. Methods A total of 988 Chilean adolescent...

Antecedentes La pandemia por COVID-19 ha impactado en la actividad física y salud psicológica de estudiantes universitarios. Objetivo Analizar el comportamiento de la actividad física durante la pandemia por COVID-19 y su asociación con el bienestar subjetivo y salud mental en estudiantes universitarios en Chile. Método Estudio transversal en una...

Background We aimed to investigate time trends and inequalities of different physical activity (PA) domains and sitting time (ST) in adults from South American countries. Methods We included cross-sectional data of nationally representative surveys on adults (n = 597 843) from nine South American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colom...

This systematic review aims to provide evidence of attributes for the concept and structure of the term physical literacy for its understanding in Spanishspeaking countries mainly from Latin America and Spain. Many definitions of physical literacy refer to a lifelong participation in physical activity, presenting multiple benefits for people's heal...

Introducción. Dada la importancia que la actividad física y el sueño han adquirido para la salud, se han propuesto diversas recomendaciones para la población infantil. El propósito de este estudio fue determinar cómo se asocia el cumplimiento de las recomendaciones de actividad física y de sueño con el exceso de peso. Población y métodos. Para la m...

Introduction: Given the importance of physical activity and sleep for health, different recommendations have been proposed for the pediatric population. The objective of this study was to determine the association between physical activity and sleep recommendations compliance and excess weight in school children from Temuco, Chile. Population and...

El objetivo general del programa es aumentar la cantidad de actividad física semanal. Para lograrlo, hemos desarrollado este Manual del participante, en donde encontrarás toda la información necesaria para comenzar a sumar minutos de actividad física a tu vida diaria, construyendo así una mejor salud y calidad de vida para ti, tus amigos/as, famili...

This chapter describes some key components of the Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018–2030 (GAPPA) issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2018. Some recommendations will be provided for how the policy implementers in each country may adapt and implement the GAPPA at the subnational and national levels in low- and middle-income co...

Dyslipidemias cause early formation of atherosclerotic plaque, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Physical Activity (PA) is a protective factor against CVDs. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between objectively measured PA with dyslipidemias in a pediatric population. Method: The PA was evaluated in 159 child...

The purpose of this systematic review is to examine studies that have assessed the effectiveness of health promotion programs with parental or family involvement for increasing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in school-aged children. Research has shown that parental or family support is positively associated with overall physical activity in...

Introduction 24-hour movement behaviours (physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep) during the early years are associated with health and developmental outcomes, prompting the WHO to develop Global guidelines for physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 years of age. Prevalence data on 24-hour movement behaviour...

Resumen Prevenir la obesidad entre los jóvenes latinos que viven en Estados Unidos y en países latinoamericanos requiere reconocer la especificidad de los contextos y las interacciones entre actividad física (AF) y entorno construido (EC). El objetivo de este artículo es avanzar en la agenda de investigación sobre el EC y la AF con el fin de preven...

La obesidad infantil es un problema grave en Latinoamérica y entre la población latina de EE. UU. Para ser eficaces, las políticas de salud pública tienen que estar guiadas por evidencias contextuales pertinentes, lo cual exige una capacidad de investigación sostenida a través del tiempo. Los objetivos de este estudio son determinar la productivida...

The first aim was to compare differences between school vulnerability groups, fitness levels, and their combination in adolescent cognitive performance. The second aim was to determine the mediation role of fitness in the association between school vulnerability and cognitive performance. A total of 912 Chilean adolescents aged 10–14 years particip...

Background : Physical fitness and fatness converge simultaneously modulating cognitive skills, which in turn, are associated with children and adolescents’ socioeconomic background. However, both fitness components and fat mass localization are crucial for understanding its implication at the cognitive level. Objective : This study aimed to determi...

Este libro expone las evidencias científicas actuales sobre el papel de la actividad física, el ejercicio y el deporte en la promoción y mantención de la salud, así como el tratamiento, control y rehabilitación de algunas enfermedades crónicas en la infancia y la adolescencia. El texto está organizado en 27 capítulos que abordan los siguientes tema...

Background: The beneficial relationship between physical fitness and cognitive performance is affected and modulated by a wide diversity of factors that seem to be more sensitive during the development stage, particularly during early adolescence. This study aimed to examine the role of physical fitness considering the multivariate association bet...

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, produced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has spread rapidly throughout the world. Latin American and the Caribbean countries have been harshly affected by the pandemic mainly due to less prepared healthcare systems and fragmented social safety nets. In the region, he...

To prevent obesity among Latino youth in the United States and Latin America, it is necessary to understand the specific context and interplay of physical activity (PA) and the built environment (BE). This paper aims to advance the research agenda of BE and PA for obesity prevention in Latin America and among Latino youth in the United States by (1...

Childhood obesity is a major problem in Latin America and among US Latinos. Effective public health policies require contextually relevant evidence to guide them, which demands sustained research capacity. The objectives of this study are to determine research productivity in Latin America and in the United States focused on Latino populations and...

Bicyclists are vulnerable road users who risk incurring severe injuries from traffic incidents involving motorists. However, the prevalence of severe bicycle injuries varies across countries and is not well-documented in Latin American countries. Studies from developed countries outside of Latin America have shown that individual and contextual fac...

The aim of this study was to compare self-reported with two accelerometer-derived methods to classify Chilean children and adolescents as physically active. In total, 247 students wore an accelerometer on their hips during 7 consecutive days to classify them as physically active based on (1) daily accumulation of ≥ 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorou...

Background: There is limited evidence about emotional and behavioral responses in toddlers and preschoolers during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, particularly in Latin America. Objective: To assess associations between changes in movement behaviors (physical activity, screen time and sleep) and emotional changes in toddlers and presch...

Background To better understand sedentary behaviour and favour international comparisons, more evidence from different countries are needed. However, there are a few tools available in Spanish to measure sedentary behaviour. This study aimed to culturally adapt, translate and validate the Past-day Adults’ Sedentary Time (PAST) questionnaire in Chil...

Movement behaviors (physical activity, sedentary behavior (including screen time), and sleep) have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to report changes in and factors influencing movement behaviors during COVID-19 among Latin American/Latino children aged 1 to 5 years in Chile, Mexico, and the USA. We conducted a cross-sectional study...

The aim was to examine the sociodemographic predictors associated with changes in movement behaviors (physical activity, screen time, and sleep) among toddlers and preschoolers during the early stages of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in Chile. Caregivers of 1- to 5-year- old children completed an online survey between 30 March and 27 April...

Objetivo: Analizar las tendencias de búsqueda en Google en Chile sobre opciones para mantenerse activos físicamente durante etapas iniciales de la pandemia por COVID-19, y reportar la recepción de orientaciones sobre conductas físicas en cuidadores de niños y niñas de 1 a 5 años, emitidas desde salas cunas o jardines infantiles durante la pandemia...

The aim was to examine the sociodemographic predictors associated with changes in movement behaviours (physical activity, screen time and sleep) among toddlers and pre-schoolers during the early stages of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in Chile. Caregivers of 1- to 5-year-old children completed an online survey between March 30th and April 2...

En el marco de la contingencia sanitaria por Covid-19, y como parte de las acciones planificadas en Mesa Técnica interministerial para la Educación Física, Actividad Física y Deporte Escolar en pandemia, se desarrolló la Guía de Actividad Física en Familia durante Confinamiento (AFF-C), a través de conformación de una comisión de trabajo, constitui...

Background To better understand sedentary behaviour and favour international comparisons, more evidence from different countries are needed. However, there are a few tools available in Spanish to measure sedentary behaviour. This study aimed to culturally adapt, translate and validate the Past-day Adults' Sedentary Time (PAST) questionnaire in Chil...

Background : The purpose was to determine the proportion of 9- to 11-year-old children meeting the 24-hour movement guidelines (24-HMG) in a low-income town from Chile. Methods : Physical activity, sedentary behavior (recreational screen), and sleep times were measured with both questionnaire and accelerometer in 258 children from third to sixth gr...

School-based physical education (PE) is part of a whole-of-school approach to promote physical activity and its benefits for health. However, there are important gaps between the design and implementation of PE policies. This study aimed to describe the implementation fidelity and feasibility of school-based PE policies in Mexico. Data on implement...