The aim of the Physical Activity for Promoting Adolescent (lung) Health (PAPAH) was to encourage young people in public and private schools in Kano State, Nigeria to increase their physical activity levels through school-based awareness talks, use of educational materials, and fun physical activity challenges.

The main events included:

• Delivering school-based talks and activity challenges and
• a hybrid physical and Zoom lecture about physical activity.

Main event – delivery of school-based talks and activity challenges in schools

The main event took place on 6 April 2021 in 17 schools.  The events were conducted to mark World Physical Activity Day. Two to three volunteers were sent to each school to deliver a talk with the adolescents in their classrooms. The volunteers used flyers to guide the talks. Each student was also given a copy of the flyer to take home for personal use.

Depending on the specific arrangement with each school, the students took part in a fitness challenge. The students that won the challenges were later awarded with the following prizes:  first place – a pedometer, second place – a diary, and third place – assorted notebooks.

Hybrid of physical and virtual (Zoom) lecture

On 7 April, the principal investigator delivered an in-person and virtual lecture about physical activity that was recorded so people could watch it afterwards and share among themselves.

The full version of the Zoom recording can be accessed via Loom on https://www.loom.com/share/8d7ce1ced0d64224bc92f09f3bfba0f5.

Sustaining the PAPAH project!

The PAPAH project successfully created awareness of physical activity to everyone that participated both as volunteers and the adolescents within the schools.

There is a need to continually do this kind of programme for the purpose of sustaining and increasing awareness among adolescents for them to live physically active lives in future. It is against this backdrop that the team in Nigeria hope to continue the PAPAH project annually on 6 April.

Read the full report:

Report of the Physical Activity for Promoting Adolescent Lung Health