Introduction: Physical activity is essential for maintaining health and preventing chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Therefore, the im- portance of aerobic and anaerobic activities is empha- sized, especially in children. However, it is important to achieve optimal exercise, as excessive physical activity can lead to negative consequences for mental health.

Aim: To determine the frequency of physical activity in upper elementary school girls and boys during and out- side of physical education classes.

Materials and methods: The research was conducted with upper elementary school students using a standar- dized questionnaire to assess the level of physical activity PAQ-C (Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children). The questionnaire was available to students online via the Google Forms platform for two weeks.

Results: They showed that students most often engage in physical activities on Fridays and Saturdays, and least on Mondays, and that boys are significantly more active than girls (P = 0.001). They engage in physical activity 2 or more times a week, i.e. 65% of them engaged in some sport, dance or played some game in which they were very active from 2 to 6 or more times. 66% of them engaged in some sport from 2 to 6 or more times in the evening, and 77% engaged in some sport immediately after school. 50% of the respondents engaged in some type of physical activity every day.

Conclusion: The results indicate a high prevalence of physical inactivity among children. Recommendations for the future include designing and implementing pro- grams that would further motivate children to participa- te in physical activity.

Key words: boys, girls, physical activity, students

Uvod: Tjelesna aktivnost ključna je za očuvanje zdravlja i prevenciju kroničnih bolesti poput bolesti srca, dijabe tesa i pretilosti. Stoga se naglašava važnost aerobnih i anaerobnih aktivnosti, a osobito kod djece. Međutim, važno je provoditi optimalnu tjelovježbu jer pretjerana tjelesna aktivnost može dovesti do negativnih posljedi ca za mentalno zdravlje.

Cilj: Utvrditi učestalost tjelesne aktivnosti kod djevojčica i dječaka viših razreda osnovne škole za vrijeme i izvan sata tjelesne i zdravstvene kulture.

Materijali i metode: Istraživanje se provodilo s učeni cima viših razreda osnovne škole putem standardizi ranog upitnika za procjenu razine tjelesne aktivnosti PAQ-C (engl. Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children). Upitnik je učenicima bio dostupan u online obliku preko platforme Google Forms u trajanju od dva tjedna.

Rezultati: Pokazali su kako se učenici najčešće bave tjelesnim aktivnostima petkom i subotom, a najmanje ponedjeljkom te da su dječaci značajno aktivniji od djevojčica (p=0,001). Tjelesnu aktivnost provode 2 i više puta tjedno, tj. njih 65% se bavilo od 2 do 6 i više puta nekim sportom, plesom ili se igrao/la nekom igrom u kojoj su bili vrlo aktivni. Njih 66 % se bavilo od 2 do 6 i više puta u večernjim satima nekim sportom, a 77% se bavilo odmah nakon škole nekim sportom. 50% ispitanika bavilo nekom vrstom tjelesne aktivnosti svaki dan.

Zaključak: Rezultati ukazuju na visoku prevalenciju tje lesne neaktivnosti među djecom te preporuka za bu dućnost uključuje osmišljavanje i provedbu programa koji bi dodatno motivirali djecu na sudjelovanje u tjelesnoj aktivnosti.

Ključne riječi: dječaci, djevojčice, tjelesna aktivnost, učenicI