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Children’s Inactivity Is Still Problematic Post Covid-19 Pandemic: Study

Children are more sedentary during the week since public lockdown restrictions were lifted, spending an average of an extra 13 minutes a day inactive, according to the findings.

• By ANI
• Washington
• Apr 28, 2023

News

Children are still more sedentary during the week, according to new research, even though children’s physical activity levels in the UK have largely returned to pre-pandemic levels.

By the summer of last year, 41 per cent of children had achieved the required daily allowance of one hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity, according to the study led by the University of Bristol. Even though this is an improvement from the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, when only 37 percent of children were found to meet this target, most children were still falling short.

Children are more sedentary during the week since public lockdown restrictions were lifted, spending an average of an extra 13 minutes a day inactive, according to the findings.

Lead author Ros Jago, professor of physical activity and public health, said: “It is encouraging that on average children’s physical activity levels are back to where they were before the pandemic.” But it has been nearly a year since the last public lockout was lifted, and children’s increased sedentary time during the week remains a concern for policy makers, schools and parents.”

The study, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, measured the physical activity levels of 393 children aged 10 to 11 between June and December 2021 and 436 children of the same age between January and July last year. The children and a parent or caregiver wore accelerometers and answered a questionnaire to measure their physical activity. Participants came from 28 schools in the Bristol area. This information was compared with data from nearly 1,300 children and their parents from 50 schools in the same area before the pandemic.

On average, parents were found to participate in eight minutes more moderate to vigorous physical activity on weekends than before the pandemic.

Physical activity is important for the health and well-being of children. The UK’s Chief Medical Officer recommends that all children and young people take part in one hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day. It’s an activity that gets kids a little hot, a little sweaty, and out of breath. The chief medical officer also advises that children should limit the amount of time they spend outdoors, meaning sitting or lying down, for extended periods of time, except for sleeping.

Co-author Dr Ruth Salvey, Senior Research Associate in Epidemiology and Statistics, said: “The findings suggest that physical activity is susceptible to disruption in provision and leisure opportunities, and highlight that there are still not enough 10 to 11-year-olds guidelines. On the other hand, it’s great to see how the pandemic may have encouraged parents to be more active and it looks like these habits may continue.”