An Overview of Physical Activity and Health Research in Nigeria: The Global Observatory for Physical Activity—GOPA!

OBJECTIVE: To describe the evolution of physical activity (PA) and health research in Nigeria; examine types, designs, and topics of research conducted; and discuss future opportunities. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of the Global Observatory for Physical Activity (GoPA!) data on PA research trends in Nigeria (1950-2020). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze study designs, research topics, and population demographics. Data were stratified by decade to illustrate changes over time. RESULTS: We identified 85 PA and health articles from Nigeria from 1950 to 2020. The majority (87.1%) of the articles were published between 2011 and 2020. Approximately 90% were observational. Most studies targeted multiple age groups (75.9%), whereas research specifically on children (11.5%), adults (10.3%), and older adults (2.2%) was less frequent. Studies involving pregnant women represented only 2.5%. Key research themes included prevalence, measurement, and trends (34.1%); correlates and determinants (32.9%); and health consequences (24.5%). There was a notable lack of studies on interventions (7.1%) and policies (2.4%). Few studies explored the association between PA and environmental factors, and none was conducted with populations with physical disabilities. In addition, only 7% of studies utilized objective PA measurement tools. Between 2015 and 2020, Nigeria's contribution to global PA and health research grew from 0.24% to 0.36%. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings may be used to benchmark the evolution of PA and health research in Nigeria and to inform areas for improvement to support comprehensive and effective public health strategies.