Trends in physical activity

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Trends in physical activity childhood obesity
A Healthy Balance Victorians Respond to
Obesity Melbourne Town Hall 23 24 October
2002

• Jo Salmon (PhD)
• Physical Activity Nutrition Research Unit
• School of Health Sciences
• Deakin University

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Acknowledgements

• David Crawford, Amanda Telford
• Victorian Health Promotion Foundation
• Financial Markets Foundation for Children
• US Centres for Disease Control, Atlanta

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Childhood obesity
How can we make sense of this puzzle ?
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Childhood obesity
Genetics
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Energy dense drinks foods
Childhood obesity
Genetics
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Energy dense drinks foods
Physical activity
Childhood obesity
Genetics
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Energy dense drinks foods
Physical activity
Childhood obesity
Genetics
Sedentary pursuits
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What do we mean by physical activity?
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• School ? PE, sport, play
• Transport ? walk or cycle to from places
  (eg, school, shops)
• Community ? organised/non- organised sport,
  play
• Home (family) ? play

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How active are Australian children?
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Walking to school(Perth, Carlin, et al., 1997)

• 1994 31 walked
• 1999 25 walked
• Melbourne 81 all trips by 5-9 yr olds 62 by
  10-14 yr olds by car

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Participation in organised sport 5-14 yrs
(ABS, 2000)

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Childrens Leisure Activities Study The CLASS
project (Salmon, Crawford, Telford, 2002)
(Acknowledgement Financial Markets Foundation
for Children, CDC Atlanta)
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Physical Activities of 5-6 year olds in Melbourne
60 of these activities are non-organised or
play activities
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Physical Activities of 10-12 year olds in
Melbourne
55 of these activities are non-organised or
play activities
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Time spent being active
4.1
4.0
hrs/day
2.4
2.0
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Summary

• Poor physical activity trend data
• Active transport has declined
• Physical education at school important
• Physical activity organised sport data show
  declines in age differences between boys girls

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Sedentary Pursuits
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• The major impact of television is not the
  behavior it produces, but the behavior it
  prevents prompts
• (Tucker, 1990)

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Allowed to eat snacks in front of the TV
Top ten snacks eaten while watching TV
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(Campbell, Crawford, et al.)
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Sedentary Pursuits

• NO change in childrens TV viewing in last six
  yrs (2.5 hrs TV/day) (AC Nielsen. TV Trends 2001)
  
• Pay TV access has increased from 5 in 1996 to
  19 in 2000 (AC Nielsen. TV Trends 2001)
• Older children spend 30 mins/day in electronic
  games 23 mins/day in computer use (CLASS,
  2002). Internet usage triples from ages 8-10 to
  14-16 yrs.
• 28 Melbourne children (10-12 yrs) have a TV in
  their bedroom (CLASS, 2002)

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On balance per day

• Boys
• 17 of day in
• physical activity
• vs 32 of day in TV,
• games, computer
• Girls
• 14 of day in
• physical activity
• vs 27 of day in TV,
• games, computer

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Summary

• Although TV viewing time has not changed,
  electronic games computer use has increased
  greatly in last 5 years
• As physical activity declines with age, time
  spent in some sedentary pursuits (eg, internet
  access) increases

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Recommendation 1

• The first priority is to establish a Victorian
  Premiers Physical Activity Taskforce that
  includes representation from
• Government and non-government organisations
• Schools Universities
• Local government
• Representation from the community, etc.

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Recommendation 2
The Premiers Physical Activity Taskforce adopts
a physical activity policy framework that
involves the whole of government inter-sectoral
approach

• Education
• Health
• Sport recreation
• Planning infrastructure
• Justice

• Local government
• Social policy planning
• Environmental protection
• Tourism
• Media

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Recommendation 3

• To adopt the UK physical activity guidelines for
  children aged 5-18 years that
• all young people accumulate physical activity
  that is enjoyable safe, and a moderate
  intensity (i.e., brisk walking pace) for one hour
  per day.

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Recommendation 4

• To adopt the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
  television viewing guidelines that
• children 2 years watch lt2 hrs TV per day
• children lt2 years watch no TV

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Objective

• Develop a policy framework that discourages long
  periods of inactivity and promotes physical
  activity among children in Victoria
• Goal to see it implemented

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