July 17, 2008 National Institutes of Health Study Reveals Activity Levels of Children Decline from Age 9 to 15 An analysis of data collected for the Early Child Care and Youth Development Study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) reveals declining activity levels in children as they age from 9 to 15 years old. The study recorded activity levels for more than 800 children at ages 9, 11, 12 and 15. Activity levels were recorded on weekdays and weekends for 4 - 7 days during each study year. Researchers found that at age 9, children in the study averaged roughly three hours (182 weekday and 179 weekend minutes) of Moderate or Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA) but by age 15 averaged only 40 minutes per weekday and 35 minutes per weekend. While at ages 9 and 11, more than 90% of the children achieved the recommended daily activity level, by age 15, the percentage meeting the recommended level had dropped to 31% on weekdays and 17% on weekends. The study, published in the July 16th issue of the Journal of American Medical Association, notes that gender in addition to age is a significant determinant of MVPA in the group. Boys spent an average of 18 more minutes per weekday and 13 more minutes per weekend day in MVPA than girls. The study authors recommended “the need for program and policy action as early as possible at the family, community, school, health care and governmental levels to address the problem of decreasing physical activity with increasing age.” The lead author of the study, Dr. Philip Nader, suggests, “Whenever possible parents could encourage family walks with their children. Even walking for as few as 15 minutes a day would provide health benefits. " For more information on the study, please see the NIH news release at http://nichd.nih.gov/news/releases/july152008_physical_activity.cfm and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at http://nichd.nih.gov/. |
