Physical activity among adolescents from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds: findings from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children

Objective: This study examined longitudinal changes in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) and non-CALD adolescents. Methods: Data were drawn from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, conducted in Australia between 2010 and 2018, focusing on participants aged 10–15 years. CALD status was determined based on parental birthplace and main language spoken at home. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were assessed using time use diaries, with generalised estimating equation models used to analyse longitudinal changes. Results: Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity declined significantly over time among CALD adolescents compared to their non-CALD counterparts (CALD girls: coefficient = −17.54, 95 % CI: −23.97 to −11.11; CALD boys: coefficient = −18.23, 95 % CI: −25.30 to −11.17). At each time point, CALD girls exhibited the lowest minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels among all other age groups, with mean values of 73.41 (95 % CI: 67.11–79.71) at 10–11 years, 52.91 (95 % CI: 47.20–58.61) at 12–13 years, and 37.26 (95 % CI: 32.05–42.46) at 14–15 years. Conclusion: The consistently lower levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among CALD adolescents, especially girls, highlight the need for culturally tailored interventions to address cultural and language barriers, to promote greater physical activity participation among this population.