Impact of family physical activity practices and school environment on the sustainability of health-preserving behavior among adolescents in urban and rural areas

Abstract

The article examines the sustainability of health-preserving behavior among adolescents as a result of the interaction between family physical activity practices and characteristics of the school environment in urban and rural areas against the background of increasing hypodynamia associated with the digitalization of education and leisure. The analysis is based on a stratified cluster sample of 2845 respondents (7th-9th grade students aged 13-16 years and their parents) from six federal subjects with quota sampling by settlement type; standardized physical activity questionnaires, family climate scales, audit of health-preserving school conditions across 12 parameters, as well as comparison of behavioral patterns with anonymized indicators of physical development and functional tests were employed, using correlation and regression analysis. It is shown that in urban areas a «polarization of activity» is formed: higher participation in sections is combined with low daily mobility and significant screen time, whereas in rural settings loads are distributed more evenly due to transport and especially household activity, ensuring a greater total volume of moderate and high intensity. Differing mechanisms of family determination have been identified: in rural areas the link between parents' and children's activity is stronger (in particular, «father – son»), while in urban areas the role of specially organized joint leisure and parents' educational status is more pronounced. It is proposed to distinguish between infrastructural provision and real involvement: with high resources of urban schools, low efficiency of facility use is recorded, whereas rural schools function as social centers with high intensity of exploitation on a modest material base and higher subjective satisfaction with conditions. Comparison with BMI and Ruffier test reveals gender-specific differences, including a higher proportion of excess weight among urban boys and rural girls, as well as better functional reserves among rural adolescents. The need for differentiated pedagogical solutions is justified, oriented toward forming a daily need for movement in urban areas and expanding the variability of organized practices in rural settings while strengthening family involvement.