Energy expenditure by adolescents in night school

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: It is well-known that energy expenditure provides a feasible way to measure the individual's energy needs. The final aim of this paper was to discover the level of physical activity and to quantify the energy expenditure of adolescents who either participated, of otherwise, in the labor market. METHODS: This paper focussed on the evaluation of the energy expenditure of 273 students of both sexes attending the evening period of six schools belonging to the State School Network of Santo André, State of S. Paulo, Brazil, through a self-applied questionnaire dealing with their physical, occupational and discretionary activities. RESULTS: Data revealed that the students who were employed worked from 40 to 50 hours a week, earning a monthly salary varying from 1 to 3 Brazilian minimum wages. Watching television was the discretionary activity most frequently referred to. The energy expenditure of these students was 3,000 and 2,100 calories for boys and girls, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results found indicated that the students who were on the labor market did not expend more energy than those who were not.