Abstract
This study aims to describe the level and trends of physical activity (PA) in Thai children and young people and examine PA changes during transitional periods. Employing nine rounds of Thailand’s Surveillance on Physical Activity (SPA) 2012–2020, this study pooled three sets of data and included children and young people aged 6–17 years in the analysis: 1595 in SPA2012–2016, 1287 in SPA2017–2019, and 853 persons in SPA2020. Face-to-face interviews were conducted in five regions, 13 provinces, and 36 villages in SPA2012–2019, whereas an online survey was administered in all provinces in SPA2020. The prevalence of sufficient moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) among Thais aged 6–17 years ranged from 19.0 percent to 27.6 percent, with a significant drop during the period of COVID-19 spread in 2020. The average daily MVPA ranged from 46 to 57 min and dropped to 36 min during the pandemic. Boys were consistently more active than girls in all nine rounds of the SPA, and girls had more difficulty in maintaining or improving their PA level. A significant increase in the proportion of Thai children and young people with sufficient MVPA was observed during their transition from late primary to early secondary school grades.
Highlights
The benefits of regular physical activity (PA) for children’s health range from shortterm fitness to long-term potential for reducing the incidence of chronic diseases that manifest in adulthood
The analysis found that sex, educational level, and residential area were significantly associated with change in average daily moderate-tovigorous physical activity (MVPA) of children and young people, and that each variable can independently predict change in average daily MVPA when the other variables are held constant
Only one in four Thai children and young people met the WHO-recommended level of 60 min daily MVPA over the period of study
Summary
The benefits of regular physical activity (PA) for children’s health range from shortterm fitness to long-term potential for reducing the incidence of chronic diseases that manifest in adulthood. Despite the global effort to improve the health of young people, 80 percent of children and young people worldwide remain physically inactive or do not meet the recommended level of PA daily [13,14]. Households [18,19,20,21], girls [18,22], those with low parental/peer support [15,23,24,25], and those residing in an unsupportive/unsafe neighborhood [19,26] are less likely to obtain sufficient MVPA. In the Thai context, the factors of age, sex, geographical location of residence/school, and parental/peer support determined the PA level of Thai children and young people [27,28,29]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
