Especificación de Posibles Proyectos Operativos

The extent to which children adhere to PA recommendations is unclear because surveys with objective measurements of PA are not available, and also different methods and instruments may affect results (Hardman & Stensel, 2003). Regrettably, studies and health surveys have indicated that many children do not meet the recommended PA levels (Economos, 2001; Westerstahl et al., 2005). A report by Kopelman et al., 2004 found that in England, almost one third of males and two-fifths of females did not achieve the recommended weekly PA levels. Since 2004 that figure has not improved and PA levels have decreased further. The Health Survey for England (2014) shows in self- reported levels on PA levels in children aged 5-15 yr, that only 21% of males and 16% of females meet the government’s recommendations for PA as

opposed to 28% in males and 19% in females in 2008. With 79% of males and 84% of females not meeting the minimum recommendation children are being exposed to health risks. Of particular importance the data showed the percentage meeting the recommendations peaked at age 8-10 yr in boys (26%) and aged 5-7 yr in girls (23%), rapidly declining with age, decreasing to 14% in boys and 8% in girls aged 13-15. By comparison, a UK study examining patterns of levels of PA using accelerometer to measure children of 11 years from the Avon longitudinal Study of PA (ALSPAC) found much lower levels of MVPA; the median time spent in MVPA was 20 min d־¹ with males accumulating 25 min d־¹ and females only 16 min d־¹ (Riddoch et al., 2007). However, the large differences could have been due to the cut points used or the criterion for which MVPA was defined.

However, whilst there is conflicting data as to how much children meet current PA guidelines there is however consensus among researchers that PA declines with age, especially in females (Riddoch & Boreham, 1995), males being more active compared to female counterparts (Riddoch et al., 2004). In adulthood PA levels decrease further. The National Health Service Information Centre, (2011) found that only 6% of males and 4% of females met the government’s recommended PA level of 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity five times a week and 32% of men and 33% of women were sedentary for 6 or more hours on a typical weekday.

2.3.1 Gender Differences in Physical Activity

In studies measuring the PA in males and females, it is consistently found that males are more active than females (Ness et al., 2007; Rowlands, et al., 1999; Rowlands et al., 2008; Trost et al., 2002). Rowlands et al. (2008) investigated PA differences between weekdays and the weekend in children 9-11 years in the South West of England. It was found that the frequency, duration and intensity of bouts is greater in males than females and females accumulated more activity sporadically than males. Duration of bouts was greater on weekdays than on weekend days, hence children are more active on school days. This shows that the school’s influence did not have an impact on PA levels in children outside of the school environment. The same was also found in central England in a study

children, mean age 9.3 years over 4 consecutive days – 2 weekend and 2 weekdays. Males attained significantly higher mean steps per day than females which were higher weekdays than weekends (13,827 and 10,334 for males and 12,263 and 11,748 for females). 29.7% of males and 46.7% of females achieved or exceeded the health related cut off points for health and the percentage of children failing to meet this was higher in overweight and obese children. It should be pointed out that the discrepancy in females achieving a higher percentage than males is that for males the cut off was 3000 steps/day greater than for the females. In this study, however, females were more active than males on a weekend as males activity levels dropped more than females on the weekend.

2.3.2 Socio-economic differences affecting physical activity

The PE and Sport Survey, 2008/09 found a link between the level of participation in PE and School sport, eligibility for free school meals, multiple deprivation and the proportion of children in the school from an ethnic minority backgrounds. Schools with lower levels of participation in PE/school sport tend to have relatively high proportions of children who are eligible for free school meals, multiple deprivations or are from ethnic minority backgrounds. Schools located in relatively deprived already and those with a relatively high proportion of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds have a tendency to have less numbers of club links than other schools. Whilst the survey did not collect data based on gender, it did however differentiate between mixed and single gender schools. The data found that mixed and male only schools are more likely to participate in 3 hours of PE per week than those in female only schools with only 33% of female only schools participating in 3 hours of PE per week. However it is worth noting that female only schools represented only 3% of schools across the UK.

Opposing results were found in a study by Trayers et al. (2006) who investigated PA levels from an inner city British primary school in an area of deprivation and found that 100% of pupils achieved PA guidelines and found levels of activity to be comparable with children from other populations’ i.e., affluent areas. There was also no difference between weekday and weekend activity levels. As the research was conducted in one geographically defined area during the spring and summer, it can be assumed that the results may not be generalizable to other

groups of children and the activity levels may not be representative of the whole year. This is due to children being more likely to play out during the spring and summer months due to it staying light for longer and the temperature being higher in spring and summer. Due to cost implications it is therefore less likely that parents from inner city schools in areas of deprivation would have the finances to pay for indoor after school physical activities during the winter months.

2.3.3 Overestimating physical activity levels of children

The UK now has a culture of convenience that is PA unfriendly. “It is disturbing that many schools and parents don’t recognise that PA should be a high priority for children.” (Almond, 2004, p9). Many parents also overestimate the PA levels of their children. A study by Corder et al. (2010) assessed awareness of PA levels among British school children aged 9-10 years and their parents. PA was measured using an accelerometer in a cross-sectional study of 1892 children from 92 Norfolk schools. Inactivity was defined as being >60 min d־¹ of moderate to vigorous PA. In all, 39% of females and 18% of males were inactive. A total of 80% of parents of inactive children wrongly thought that their child was sufficiently active. This was particularly so with parents of children with a lower fat mass index (p<0.001), who assume that their children are adequately active. Children also overestimated their PA level with 40% of inactive children overestimating PA levels. Key findings in the Health Survey for England (2007) showed that only one in 10 children aged 11-15 suggested that recommended activity levels should be 60 minutes or more each day, yet most children perceive themselves as being either very or fairly physically active compared with children their own age (90% of males and 84% of females respectively) Moreover, in 2013 most individuals (90 per cent) did not know the current guidelines for PA in this country (Health and Social Care Information Centre, 2013).