Analyzing health inequality among adolescents in Chile: Physical activity, socioeconomics, and play environments across genders Souza-Lima, Josivaldo de Parra Saldías, Maribel Mahecha Matsudo, Sandra Ferrari, Gerson Godoy Cumillaf, Andrés Farías Valenzuela, Claudio Valdivia Moral, Pedro Angel Youth well-being Gender-specific analysis Recreational safety Objectives: This study examines the association between socioeconomic factors, gender, physical activity, and health satisfaction among Chilean adolescents. It aims to identify key disparities and their implications for public health policies. Study design: Cross-sectional study based on the third wave (2016–2019) of the international Children’s Worlds survey. Methods: A total of 911 adolescents aged 12–13 years from Santiago, Chile, participated. Physical activity levels, socioeconomic indicators, and health satisfaction were assessed. Statistical analyses included t-tests, chi-square tests, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression models stratified by gender. Results: Boys reported higher levels of electronic gaming (64.6 % vs. 35.4 %, p < 0.001), while girls engaged more in outdoor play at lower frequencies (52.8 % vs. 47.2 %, p = 0.045). Perceived safety was a stronger predictor of health satisfaction for girls (β = 0.252, p < 0.001) than for boys (β = 0.251, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Socioeconomic and environmental factors significantly influence adolescent health satisfaction, with gender-specific differences. Policies should focus on improving access to recreational spaces and addressing economic barriers, particularly for girls. 2025-11-21T11:55:17Z 2025-11-21T11:55:17Z 2025-12 journal article de Souza-Lima, J., Parra-Saldías, M., Mahecha Matsudo, S., Ferrari, G., Godoy-Cumillaf, A., Farias-Valenzuela, C., & Valdivia-Moral, P. (2025). Analyzing health inequality among adolescents in Chile: Physical activity, socioeconomics, and play environments across genders. Public Health in Practice (Oxford, England), 10(100666), 100666. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhip.2025.100666 https://hdl.handle.net/10481/108195 10.1016/j.puhip.2025.100666 eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ open access Atribución 4.0 Internacional Elsevier