Urbanisation and exam pressures contributing to kids’ sedentary lifestyles

Maltese children’s sedentary habits are being exacerbated by “extreme academic pressures” and “the urbanisation of Maltese villages with ever-decreasing safe areas for children to play in”, a study carried out by doctors says.

The study, published in the Malta Medical Journal, said that in their spare time, children prefer to take up activities that do not involve exercise: 55% of the study’s participants were either overweight or obese.

The study investigated the physical activity and fitness levels in Maltese children at primary school level and was based on the replies of 120 children aged 9 from three State primary schools within the St Benedict’s College network, who completed a questionnaire measuring general levels of physical activity in children in terms of frequency, intensity and duration.

The study indicated that children still have plenty of time for out-of-school physical activities. Children performed most of their physical activities during the weekend and on Wednesdays.

After deducting time spent in school and accounting for one hour of homework, children still have 3,660 minutes of spare time a week. But although time is available for children to undergo plenty of physical activity, “children still choose, or have no choice, to entertain themselves with sedentary activities rather than undergo in physical activity during this time”.

The study found that the most common activities performed outside of school during the children’s spare time were catch and tag (7.96%), jogging and running (7.68%) and football (6.23%). The least common activities were rowing (2.75%), badminton (3.03%) and triathlon (3.27%)

When physical activity at school is also taken into consideration, on average children reported participating in physical activities three to four times during the whole week, which is less than once daily.

But time for physical activities during PE lessons and school breaks was limited, especially when compared to spare time after school hours. PE lessons are usually carried out twice a week, with each lesson lasting around 40 minutes. Moreover, children have two breaks each day, during which they spend an average of 20 minutes in free play in the school grounds.

One of the recommendations made by the authors of the study is to have more parks and play areas in each village and that these should be repeatedly tended to and upgraded, “in order to attract families and promote physical exercise during play”.

The study also reveals that most physical activity takes place during PE lessons and school breaks.

“These particular time periods should be used to their best potential. Malta should make use of schools by implementing school-based interventions as a public health strategy to increase national quantities of physical activity levels and combat childhood obesity.”

The authors also recommended that schools should offer the opportunity for children to join sport clubs during breaks and that schools should consider offering after-school opportunities which involve physical activities. The study also recommends the promotion of walking and cycling to school.

The study was authored by Amanda Fenech from Department of Paediatrics at Mater Dei Hospital, Nachiappan Chockalingam from the Centre for Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Technologies at Staffordshire University and Cynthia Formosa and Alfred Gatt from the University of Malta’s Faculty of Health Sciences.