Report highlights teens physical activity shortfall

Only one in six of UK adolescents aged 11-17 is active for a total of 60 minutes on all seven days of the week. This is according to new global estimates released by the World Health Organization (WHO), with Edinburgh researchers leading the research.

The findings reveal that the UK is above the global average of 14 per cent, but lags behind Finland at 28 per cent and Canada at 25 per cent.

While the UK is on a level with Sweden and Norway, with all three at 17 per cent, activity levels were found to be ahead of Germany on 13 per cent, France at 11 per cent and Italy at nine per cent.

International study

Researchers analysed 389 population-based surveys from 140 countries and territories, involving over 3.2 million adolescents, for the collaborative study between WHO and an international team of researchers.

Teenagers were asked to report how many of the past seven days they had been active – defined as taking part in at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, the kind that gets you out of breath.

The team found on average, UK adolescents are active on only four days a week, with just under one in four reporting three or fewer active days.

Activity rates

The study also revealed stark differences between genders, with 21 per cent of UK boys active for 60 minutes every day, compared with 13 per cent of girls.

Activity levels also declined with age. On average, 11-year-olds reported 4.6 active days per week while 17-year-olds reported 3.6.

In almost every country and region in the study, girls were less active than boys. Globally, 28 per cent of girls reported no active days, compared with 22 per cent of boys. Only 11 per cent of girls reported being active every day, compared with 17 per cent of boys.

Lead author Dr Tessa Strain, of the University’s Moray House School of Education and Sport says more can be done to support activity in the UK.

In our study we find that while UK teens are about as active as their European peers, most teens are simply not active enough. We see pronounced inequalities in the UK where girls are much less active than boys, and older teens are less active than younger teens.

Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. Helping young people develop active habits early in life is critical to protecting their health and reducing the global burden of these diseases.

Globally and in the UK, too many teens are not active enough. One in four teens worldwide are not active for even one hour on any day of the week. We know this affects their physical and mental health today and for the rest of their lives. We have the power to change this as a society. We can empower teens to be active every day and create inclusive policies to reach that 25 per cent of teens who are not active on any day.

The findings point to a lack of global progress over the past 15 years, with levels of physical activity among adolescents virtually unchanged during this time, the researchers say.

According to the WHO, the challenge is not simply to persuade adolescents to move more, it is to create environments that make being active a normal and easy part of growing up. They are now calling for stronger action across the education, transport, urban planning, sport and health sectors, alongside efforts to address the multiple barriers faced by girls.

We need to make being active the easy and enjoyable choice. Adolescents need safe routes to walk, cycle, wheel or scoot to school. They need green spaces to explore. They need opportunities to be active throughout the school day, not just in PE.

The study has been published in The Lancet Global Health. The research was funded by the WHO Foundation, European Commission, and the Ministry of Public Health, Qatar.

International study

Activity rates

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