80 percent of adolescents
worldwide are not physically active: WHO
More than 80 percent of
adolescents worldwide are not physically active, including 85 percent girls
and 78 percent boys, putting their health at risk by not doing regular exercise and spending too
much time on screen, according to a new study from World Health Organization
(WHO).
The study, published in the
journal The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, based on data reported by 1.6
million 11 to 17-year-old students – found that across all 146 countries
studied between 2001-2016, girls were less active than boys in all. According
to the WHO, levels of insufficient physical activity in adolescents continue to
be extremely high, compromising their current and future
health.
“Urgent policy action to
increase physical activity is needed now, particularly to promote and retain
girls’ participation in physical activity,” said study author Dr Regina
Guthold, WHO. Most countries in the study (73 percent, 107 of 146) saw this
gender gap widen between 2001-2016. The study also found that Bangladesh and
India had the lowest rates of physical inactivity for boys and girls.
For the findings, the researchers
estimated how many 11 to 17-year-olds do not meet this recommendation by
analysing data collected through school-based surveys on physical activity
levels. The assessment included all types of physical activity, such as time
spent in active play, recreation and sports, active domestic chores, walking
and cycling or other types of active transportation, physical education and
planned exercise.
Physical activity trends show
slight improvement for boys, none for girls
The study found that the
greatest decreases in boys being insufficiently active were Bangladesh — from
73 percent to 63 percent, Singapore (78 percent to 70 percent), Thailand
(78 percent to 70 percent), Benin (79 percent to 71 percent), Ireland (71
percent to 64 percent), and the US (71 percent to 64 percent).
However, among girls, changes
were small, ranging from a two percentage-point decrease in Singapore (85 per
cent to 83 percent) to a one percentage-point increase in Afghanistan (87 per
cent to 88 percent).
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