Sharply reduced physical activity in boys with smartphones – forskning.se

according to a new study at the University of Gothenburg and Linnaeus University.

– We can not ignore a smartphone-power, says Anders Raustorp at Gothenburg University.

Surveys that measure young people’s sporting habits are plentiful, but the current study measured total daily physical activity among young people.

A group of researchers under the leadership of Associate Professor Anders Raustorp for a number of days of school examined the physical activity of between 40 and 100 children in grade 2 and grade 5 at five schools on three occasions during the period 2000-2013. The activity has been noted during school and leisure through pedometer, plus weight, height and BMI, body mass index, measured.

For girls in grades 2 activity increased between 2000 and 2006 stabilized in 2013. Boys in grades 2 and girls in grade 5 had stable from 2000 to 2013. For boys in grades 5 was measured, however, an average reduction of 24 per cent, from 16,670 steps per day to 12704 steps. Only 20 percent of boys reaching the recommended 15,000 steps.

– It is worrisome results. Regular physical activity result in significant health benefits for children. We also know from previous studies that children who are assessed as insufficiently active at the age of twelve largely retain their activity patterns into adulthood, says Anders Raustorp.

Increased obesity
A consequence of the decreased mobility is that the proportion of children with overweight / obesity increased in three of the four groups studied during the investigation. The exception is the girls in grades 5, where the proportion of overweight / obesity sjönk.Vid previous measurements of these schools, children have been internationally high values ​​and that they have therefore still in grade 2 and among girls in grades 5

A likely explanation for the decline in physical activity of boys in grades 5, according to the research team access to smart phones.

– We looked for something that affected the level of activity for 2006-2008 year 5 but not in year 2 and that affected boys more than girls. In structured observations in 2013 noted the students break activities. All the boys in Year 5 in the study had in 2013 gained access to smartphones and during school breaks, it was mainly the boys who were absorbed by them, says Anders Raustorp.

The result is reinforced by figures from the National Media Council which for 2013 indicates that in the group 11-12-year-olds was 22 per cent of boys and four per cent of girls who spent more than three hours a day online.

Read article Acta Paediatrica: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/apa.13027/abstract

Fact: The of 14 scientists from the USA, Australia, Canada, France, and Sweden indicated step recommendation recommend 12,000 steps / day for girls, 15,000 steps / day for boys. This is equivalent to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity for both girls and boys in grade 5. In the survey fell proportion of children who achieved the recommendation in the 13 years, 71-61 per cent among girls and 76-20 percent among boys.