Wales Report Card reveals physical activity levels of young people in Wales

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International experts in the field of Sport and Exercise Science were present at the recent launch of the Active Healthy Kids - Wales Physical Activity Report Card 2014.

The inspiration for the first Active Healthy Kids­ - Wales Report Card has come from the Canadian Report Card that has been published annually for the last 10 years.

Being part of the International ‘Active Healthy Kids’ project will help establish Wales in a Global Framework motivated to promote health and active behaviour in children.

Professor Gareth Stratton (Swansea University) and Dr Simon Williams (University of South Wales) coordinated efforts to produce a report card for Wales in May 2013. Between October 2013 and June 2014 an AHK-­Wales expert group led by Professor Stratton was formed.

The 2014 Wales Report Card was produced by an expert group of academics and professionals including representatives from Swansea University, University of South Wales, Cardiff Metropolitan University and Glyndwr University. Sport Wales provided professional members.

Professor Stratton, Professor of Paediatric Exercise Science and Director of the Applied-Sports Technology Exercise and Medicine (A-STEM) Research Centre, at Swansea University’s College of Engineering, launching the 2014 Report, told delegates at the Wales Exercise Medicine Symposium that the findings in the report card showed that there was significant room for improvement in all the indicators that influence children’s active and healthy lifestyle in Wales and that data on the quality indicators also required further reach and co-ordination

A few of the grades from the report card show:

Physical Activity and Health Behaviour Outcomes

Sedentary Behaviour D

66% of boys and girls aged 11­‐15 years reported watching television for two or more hours per week.

Physical Activity D

19% of 11­‐15 year old boys and girls reported being physically active for at least 60min everyday. In another survey 34% were active for at least 1 hour everyday.

Active and Outdoor Play C

54% of pupils had visited a park to do sport or exercise

Active Transportation C

40% of children use active transport to get to school 47% were driven to school.

Organised Sports Participation C

40% of pupils took part in sport on 3 or more occasions per week. Children from minority ethnic groups were less active than White British children. Fewer children from areas of high deprivation or disability participated in sport 3 or more times per week.