Young people’s knowledge and understanding of health, fitness and physical activity: issues, divides and dilemmas

Abstract

Critical discourse analysis was used to explore and discuss data on young people's knowledge and understanding of health, fitness and physical activity, selected from a wider study which focused on the role of secondary schools in effectively promoting physical activity. A mixed methods approach was utilised, involving an online survey to teachers in all state secondary schools in the United Kingdom (n=603 responding schools) and case studies centred on eight randomly selected state secondary schools from nine Government regions across England. Within each case study school, teacher interviews and pupil focus groups were conducted involving 17 teachers and 132 children aged 12-15 years respectively. The healthism discourse was evident in the way young people talked about health, fitness and physical activity and two key themes emerged, these being: i) issues with young people's knowledge and understanding of health, fitness and physical activity in the form of reductive, limited and limiting conceptions; conceptual confusion; a preoccupation with appearance, weight, fat, shape and size; limited progression in learning; and complexities in understandings; and ii) divides between young people's health knowledge and health behaviour, and dilemmas underpinning these divides. Improved understanding of issues with young people's knowledge and understanding of health, fitness and physical activity and of divides and dilemmas regarding associated behaviours should assist in developing critical pedagogies which challenge the dominance and stability of the healthism discourse and more effectively promote healthy, active lifestyles amongst young people.

Young people’s uses of wearable healthy lifestyle technologies; surveillance, self-surveillance and resistance

“…Surveillance and self-surveillance practices, however, were, in line with previous studies in schools (e.g. Burrows, 2010;Harris et al, 2017), clearly connected to health equating to fitness and being 'fit' or as Powell and Fitzpatrick (2015) also highlight, not being 'fat'. These narrow interpretations of health, equally, underpinned resistance.…”

“…In agreement with a substantial and international evidence-base, critical pedagogical approaches are required in schools to address the societal, narrow and normative discourses of health (Burrows & Wright, 2004;Casey et al, 2017;Gard, 2014;Harris et al, 2017;Powell & Fitzpatrick, 2015). The suitability of a critical approach rather than an exclusively physical activity promoting approach is further supported by the views of young people in this study.…”

#Gymlad - young boys learning processes and health-related social media

“…The interviews were led by a researcher and lasted between 20-40 minutes, as recommended for this age group, and to fit with the school's timetable (see Burnette, Kwitowski, and Mazzeo 2017;Livingstone and Sefton-Green 2016). This interview duration is consistent with school-based focus group interviews conducted with young people in the area of health (Burnette, Kwitowski, and Mazzeo 2017;Harris et al 2018).…”

Bubbles & Squat – did Dionysus just sneak into the fitness centre?

“…This has contributed to provide evidence for the relation between improved physical fitness and the prevention of various diseases, and this knowledge has been used to prescribe scientifically correct fitness programmes , where a healthy body equals an illness-free body. A similar reductive and limited understanding of health has recently been reported to dominate young people's knowledge and view of health, fitness and physical activity (Harris et al, 2018) Against this background, we wish to question if mixing festivity and alcohol with fitness can, from an existential stance, be considered healthy? We will not challenge that the physiological health concerns are valid from a medical perspective.…”