Physical activity: Almost two-thirds of Irish teenagers do not do any exercise, according to new research from Dublin City University (DCU). Patricia Weston reports.
Teenagers are more likely to watch TV, play computer games, talk on the phone and sit around chatting rather than take exercise, the large-scale survey indicates.
The Take PART Study - Physical Activity Research for Teenagers - questioned up to 1,000 15- to 17-year-olds from 24 schools in the East Coast Area Health Board Region.
The findings highlight graphically the increased risk of teenagers developing obesity. Overweight, inactive children can become overweight adults, Dr Catherine Woods, one of the authors of the study told The Irish Times.
Girls were less active than boys, according to the findings. "There is a greater opportunity for boys to participate in team sports such as football, Gaelic and rugby so boys have a greater opportunity to be more active than girls."
One-quarter of teenagers surveyed were classed as overweight or obese, the DCU study concludes. "Children and teenagers who are sedentary are more likely to be sedentary adults thus leading to overweight," Dr Woods noted.
Four times as many girls surveyed indicated they were currently on a diet to lose weight. "The most shocking finding was the perception teenagers have about their bodies," Dr Woods said. "The majority of girls considered themselves 'a bit too fat'. It is clear from the findings that weight is a serious issue with children of this age."
While the majority of girls viewed themselves as fat, 80 per cent admitted to using some form of weight control method as a means of losing weight. "A high proportion of the teenagers used unhealthy means of weight management such as vomiting and skipping meals," Dr Woods said.
Sports facilities are unsatisfactory in schools which can lead to a lack of exercise, she believed. "The physical education facilities in schools are very poor which is one of the reasons children are inactive," Dr Woods said.
"Where boys are more inclined to watch TV and play video games, girls are more sociable in their sedentary behaviour and tend to sit around chatting on the phone and with friends. Girls also do twice as much homework than boys, which is considered sedentary behaviour," she said.
The fact that teenagers are inactive, confirmed by the DCU study, is a serious issue that must be dealt with, said John Treacy, chief executive of the Irish Sports Council and chairman of the National Taskforce on Obesity.
"From a health perspective, the positive effects of physical activity are well known and well documented," he told The Irish Times.
"The fact that teenagers, in particular girls, are not participating in physical activity and sport is a huge obstacle that has to be overcome. All sports councils and public health agencies should be keenly aware of this issue," Mr Treacy added.
The majority of teenagers surveyed - 61 per cent - were driven or took public transport to school rather than walked or cycled. Of these, 22 per cent of car users and 3 per cent of bus users commuted less than one mile to school.
Some 80 per cent of teenagers admitted they drank alcohol, while 30 per cent of boys and 20 per cent of girls took their first drink by the time they were 12 years old.
The DCU findings parallel research carried out in Northern Ireland by the University of Ulster. It found children who do not exercise are at a high risk of becoming obese. "Few children walk or cycle to school, and the numbers involved in sport are in decline. Our children are becoming fatter," said Prof Colin Boreham of the university's School of Applied Medical Sciences and Sports Studies.
For more information or a copy of the report contact: The Centre for Sport Science & Health DCU, Glasnevin, Dublin.