Mizdrak said the survey showed 61% of children and young people were ‘‘sufficiently active’’, clocking up more than seven hours of exercise a week. Almost 20% were moderately active (3.5 to seven hours a week) and 19% were minimally active (less than 3.5 hours a week). Introducing 2.5 hours of PE a week in schools would reach a large proportion of young people who are missing out on physical activity, and would halve the number who are minimally active to 8%." Richards said there was variation in the proportion of young people who were sufficiently active among different groups, with males having higher physical activity levels than females and the least deprived young people having higher physical activity levels than the most deprived young people. "Introducing a minimum time requirement for PE, or in fact physical activity participation during the school day, would close the inequity gap in physical activity participation across socio-economic, ethnicity and gender lines."

Source: Otago Daily Times March 11, 2021 15:33 UTC