Mexico’s 2018 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth: Full report

Abstract

Objectives. Mexico’s 2018 Report Card evaluates the opportunities available for Mexican children and youth to reach healthy levels of physical activity, sleep, and sedentary behavior. Methods. The Report Card is a surveillance system that gathers data from national surveys, censuses, government documents, websites, grey literature, and published studies to evaluate 16 indicators in four categories: Daily Behaviors; Physical Fitness; Settings and Sources of Influence; and Strategies and Investments. Data were compared to established benchmarks. Each indicator was assigned a grade from 1 – 10 (< 6 is a failing grade) or “incomplete” if data was insufficient/unavailable. Results. Daily Behavior grades were: Overall Physical Activity, 4; Organized Sport Participation, 5; Active Play, 3; Active Transportation, 5; Sleep, 7; and Sedentary Behavior, 3. Physical Fitness, received a 7. Settings and Sources of Influence grades were: Family and Peers, incomplete; School, 3; and Community and Environment, 4. Strategies and Investments were: Government Strategies, 6; and Non-Government Organizations, 2. Conclusion. Low grades in 11 of the 16 indicators indicate that schools, families, communities, and government need to work together to improve physical activity opportunities for children and youth in Mexico.

Associations between Screen-Based Activities, Physical Activity, and Dietary Habits in Mexican Schoolchildren

“…This was particularly true among girls, as video game and computer use remained positively correlated with income among girls when correlates were examined by sex. This is consistent with previous studies examining socioeconomic differences in screen-time among Mexican youth that also found that children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds reported higher access to screen devices including televisions, computers, and gaming systems, which can be costly [9,41].…”

“…Global screen time guidelines recommend that children should be limited to less than or equal to 2 h of screen time per day [ 7 , 8 ]. However, the most recent National Health and Nutrition Survey reported that 77.3% of Mexican children exceeded the 2-h screen time limit [ 9 ]. Given that screen time significantly contributes to obesity, there is an urgent need to increase our understanding of how screen time impacts obesity-related diet and physical activity behaviors among Mexican children to inform intervention strategies focused on reducing screen time.…”

Results from the 2022 Mexican report card on physical activity for children and adolescents

“…Four Global Matrices have been completed to date; the latest one in 2022, where 57 countries from six continents completed Report Cards (4,(7)(8)(9). As part of the Global Matrix, Mexico has developed four Report Cards that have improved the surveillance of movement behaviors in Mexican children and adolescents (10)(11)(12)(13). This manuscript reports results from the 2022 edition of the Mexican Report Card which aims to provide an up-to-date evaluation of movement behaviors among Mexican children and adolescents and to inform programs and policies to improve these behaviors.…”

Physical Activity in Mexican High Schools

“…For the indicator that considers “settings and sources of influence” within schools, Mexico obtained a rating of 3, (from 1 to 10) where ≤6 means failed. This reveals that a high proportion of the schools that were poorly rated, students only receive 1 hour of physical education (PE) per week and there are insufficient PE teachers available for public schools 15 …”

“…This reveals that a high proportion of the schools that were poorly rated, students only receive 1 hour of physical education (PE) per week and there are insufficient PE teachers available for public schools. 15 Furthermore, the type and location of spaces dedicated to specific physical activities, such as the presence of a baseball field or gymnasium, has been positively associated with adolescent PA practices in schools within high-income countries. 7 Despite the important role schools play in reaching the adolescent population, there is insufficient evidence on the association between PA spaces and practices in lowand middle-income countries, such as Mexico.…”