Results from England’s 2014 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth

Abstract

Background:The Active Healthy Kids 2014 England Report Card aims to provide a systematic assessment of how England is performing in relation to engaging and facilitating physical activity (PA) in children and young people.Methods:The systematic methods and processes that underpin the Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card were used and adapted. Data and evidence were consolidated, reviewed by a panel of content experts, and used to inform the assignment of letter grades (A, B, C, D, F) to 9 core indicators related to PA.Results:Children’s Overall Physical Activity received a grade of C/D. Active Transportation and Organized Sport Participation received grades of C and C-, respectively. The indicators of School and Community and the Built Environment were graded favorable with grades of A- and B, respectively. Active Play, Sedentary Behaviors, Family and Peers, and Government Strategies and Investments were graded as INC (incomplete) due to a lack of nationally representative data and/or as a result of data not mapping onto the benchmarks used to assign the grades.Conclusions:Substantial provision for PA opportunities in England exists. Yet more effort is required to maximize use of these resources to increase PA participation.

Physical Activity of Children: A Global Matrix of Grades Comparing 15 Countries

“…Country-specific details for each Report Card are summarized in the individual papers in this special issue of the journal. 1,[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] Despite variation in country data sources and the extent to which country Expert Groups were able to apply the recommended benchmarks, it is believed that the grades across all indicators are comparable and certainly informative of global variation in important factors related to PA among children and youth. Internet links to the Report Cards for each country are provided in Table 3.…”

Physical Activity of Children: A Global Matrix of Grades Comparing 15 Countries

“…The individual country report cards discussed a variety of policies, strategies, and investments related to different indicators and collectively represent a catalog of ideas for governments to consider. 1,[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] Many countries had relatively high grades for the policy environment both in schools and in governments, but relatively low grades for the indicators of health behaviors that the policies were targeting. Whether this reflects ineffective policies, lack of implementation or the reactive nature of policy development is unclear.…”

“…The high grade for England represented favorable composite evidence on school physical education (PE) delivery, school policies and investments in PA, and school facilities and availability. 11 The low grade in Colombia was based on the observation that only 6.1% of school-aged children received PE classes from a professional instructor. 91 Of interest, grades for the Overall Physical Activity indicator did not appear to be closely related to school-based opportunities for PE or PA.…”

“…1,2 Details of the process in each country are briefly described in this issue of the Journal of Physical Activity and Health. 1,[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] This paper consolidates findings from the 15 countries, creating a "global matrix" of common indicators graded by each country using the best available evidence in their jurisdiction. The global matrix not only assesses global variation in indicators related to PA, but also serves as a tool to motivate change, facilitate advocacy, and cross-fertilize efforts aimed at empowering the movement to get kids moving around the world.…”

Exercise and Vascular Function in Child Obesity: A Meta-Analysis

“…Current worldwide data suggest that only 5% to 50% of children and adolescents are meeting physical activity guidelines (60 minutes each day), implying that permanent adoption of daily physical activity and exercise in these populations may be difficult. [51][52][53][54][55][56] Supervision and enjoyment are components positively related to adherence, and consideration must be made when designing a training program. Watts et al 11 designed a game-based exercise program involving activities such as dodge-and-tag, jogging, and soccer, which resulted in a high attendance rate.…”