Abstract
Internationally, insufficient physical activity (PA) is a major health concern. Children in Northern Ireland (NI) are recorded as having the lowest levels of PA in the United Kingdom (UK). To date, validated and representative data on the PA levels of NI school children are limited. The aim of this study was to provide surveillance data on self-reported PA, sport and physical education (PE) participation of school children in NI. Differences between genders and factors associated with PA were also examined. A representative sample of primary (n = 446) and post-primary (n = 1508) children was surveyed in school using validated self-report measures. Findings suggest that PA levels are low, with a minority of children (13%) meeting the PA guidelines (primary pupils 20%, post-primary pupils 11%). NI school children have lower levels of PA, PE and sports participation than UK and European peers. A trend of age-related decline across all the domains of PA was apparent. The data presented highlighted that females are less likely to achieve PA guidelines, children from lower socio-economic background participate in school and community sport less often, and that enjoyment and social support are important variables in PA adherence. Policy solutions that would support implementation e.g., mandatory minimum PE time, whole school approaches to PA promotion and targeted investment in schools, particularly in areas of deprivation and for females, are suggested.
Highlights
Recent international findings from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study show that fewer than one-fifth of adolescents achieve the recommended levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) daily [1]
Our analysis suggests that post-primary males are more likely to meet daily PA guidelines than females (10% and 16%) and the female decline in PA is significantly more dramatic than their male peers during adolescence
The data from this study suggest that pupils attending schools with low socio-economic status (SES) were more likely to receive the recommended 120 min of physical education (PE); beyond the school day children from lower SES groups were not participating in sport to the same levels as their high SES peers
Summary
Recent international findings from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study show that fewer than one-fifth of adolescents achieve the recommended levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) daily [1]. Insufficient physical activity (PA) is a major health problem globally [2]. In addition to providing a foundation for future PA, children’s activity levels and behaviours are vital to their health and wellbeing in the short term [4]. Ireland (NI) are not meeting the 60 min of daily MVPA recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Kingdom (UK) Chief Medical Officer [6,7]. Fewer than half of children and adolescents across the island of Ireland are meeting the guidelines [8], and children living in NI are least likely to meet the recommended levels of PA, when compared with other countries across the UK [9]
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