Physical activity and inactivity in Chinese school-aged youth: the China Health and Nutrition Survey

Tudor–Locke, Catrine; Ainsworth, Barbara E.; Adair, Linda S.; Du, Songming; Popkin, Barry M.

doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0802377

Cited by 163 publications

(145 citation statements)

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“…Among Asian Bangladeshi, Chinese and Yemeni parents, time available for PA in childhood was decreased by pressure on children to achieve academically and participate in faith and language classes associated to their ethnic heritage. Emphasis on educational attainment in childhood as a barrier to PA is a recurrent theme in research with particular ethnic minority groups (e.g., Chinese [48], Middle Eastern [11], Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Black African [17] populations) living in Western countries. Given parental concern about education, relating the benefits of PA to improved concentration and cognitive functioning [49,50] may increase engagement in activities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ethnic differences in parental attitudes and beliefs about being overweight in childhood

Trigwell

Watson

Murphy

et al. 2013

Health Education Journal

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Background: Guidelines recommend children and young people participate in at least 60 min of physical activity (PA) every day, however, findings from UK studies show PA levels of children vary across ethnic groups. Since parents play an instrumental role in determining children's PA levels, this article aims to explore parental views of children's PA in a multi-ethnic sample living in a large city in the North-West of England. Methods: Six single-ethnic focus groups were conducted with 36 parents of school-aged children (4 to 16 years) with a predominantly low socio-economic status (SES). Parents self-identified their ethnic background as Asian Bangladeshi (n = 5), Black African (n = 4), Black Somali (n = 7), Chinese (n = 6), White British (n = 8) and Yemeni (n = 6). Focus group topics included understanding of PA, awareness of PA guidelines, knowledge of benefits associated with PA and perceived influences on PA in childhood. Data were analysed thematically using QSR NVivo 9.0. Results: Parents from all ethnic groups valued PA and were aware of its benefits, however they lacked awareness of PA recommendations, perceived school to be the main provider for children's PA, and reported challenges in motivating children to be active. At the environmental level, barriers to PA included safety concerns, adverse weather, lack of resources and lack of access. Additional barriers were noted for ethnic groups from cultures that prioritised educational attainment over PA (Asian Bangladeshi, Chinese, Yemeni) and with a Muslim faith (Asian Bangladeshi, Black Somali, Yemeni), who reported a lack of culturally appropriate PA opportunities for girls. Conclusion: Parents from multi-ethnic groups lacked awareness of children's PA recommendations and faced barriers to promoting children's PA out of school, with certain ethnic groups facing additional barriers due to cultural and religious factors. It is recommended children's PA interventions address influences at all socio-ecological levels, and account for differences between ethnic groups.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ethnic differences in parental attitudes and beliefs about being overweight in childhood

Trigwell

Watson

Murphy

et al. 2013

Health Education Journal

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“…China is a newly industrializing country that is currently experiencing a severe challenge in the area of health and nutrition [18,19]. Studies have shown that nutritional deficiencies and over-nutrition are significant in many parts of China and that the problem is growing [19,20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge, attitudes and behaviour regarding nutrition and dietary intake of seventh-grade students in rural areas of Mi Yun County, Beijing, China

Wang

Shi

Chang

et al. 2013

Environ Health Prev Med

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Objectives To investigate the knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of seventh-grade students regarding nutrition and dietary intake, to collect data that would facilitate the design and implementation of interventions aimed at promoting good nutrition in adolescents via the school and to contribute to the improvement of adolescents' health in rural regions. Methods This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study in which a 27-item, self-administered, structured questionnaire, designed in Chinese, was administered to seventhgrade students attending one of three rural middle schools, chosen randomly from 15 middle schools, in Mi Yun County, Beijing. Results In terms of nutrition knowledge, 84.5 % of respondents had scores of between 3 and 7. Based on our analysis of the completed questionnaires, during the 7 days preceding completion of the questionnaire 43.6 % of respondents had eaten fresh fruit at least once per day, 71.3 % had eaten vegetables at least once per day, 22.3 % had consumed at least one glass of milk (or soy milk or yogurt) each day and 68.6 % had eaten breakfast every day. In total, 95.2 % of respondents thought nutrition was very important or important to their health, and 94.2 % thought it was very important or important to develop healthy dietary habits. Of the respondents, 52.7 % thought good food quality was the most important aspect of nutrition and dietary intake and 62.2 % thought food safety was the most important aspect. Conclusions Based on the results of our survey we suggest their should be continuous efforts to teach adolescents in rural areas of China about various aspects of good nutrition, to encourage diversity in their choice of breakfasts, to guarantee food safety and to improve food quality.

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“…5,7 Similar to many other countries, 8 China suffers the burden of declining PA levels and increasing sedentary behavior among school-aged children, the likely result of broad social changes. [9][10][11] Shanghai, located on the east coast of China, is one of the biggest and most populous cities in both China and the world, with a population of more than 24 million. The proportion of children and youth from Shanghai (the most developed city in China) who meet the recommendation of 1 hour of MVPA everyday is very low.…”

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confidence: 99%

Results From Shanghai’s (China) 2016 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth

Yang¹,

Tang²,

Cao³

et al. 2016

Journal of Physical Activity and Health

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Background:Internationally comparable evidence is important to advocate for young people’s physical activity. The aim of this article is to present the inaugural Shanghai (China) Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth.Methods:Since no national data are available, the working group developed the survey questionnaire and carried out the school surveys for students (n = 71,404), parents (n = 70,346), and school administrators and teachers (n = 1398). The grades of 9 report card indicators were assigned in accordance with the survey results against a defined benchmark: A is 81% to 100%; B is 61% to 80%; C is 41% to 60%, D is 21% to 40%; F is 0% to 20%.Results:The 9 indicators were graded as follows: Overall Physical Activity Levels (F), Organized Sport Participation (F), Active Play (D-), Active Transportation (C-), Sedentary Behavior (F), Family and Peers (B), School (B+), Community and the Built Environment (D+), and Government (D).Conclusions:Levels of physical activity and sedentary behavior were low and below the respective recommended guidelines. Interventions and policies at the community level should be encouraged to promote physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior. Future national surveys should be encouraged to strengthen Shanghai’s Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth.

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Physical activity and inactivity in Chinese school-aged youth: the China Health and Nutrition Survey

Cited by 163 publications

References 30 publications

Ethnic differences in parental attitudes and beliefs about being overweight in childhood

Ethnic differences in parental attitudes and beliefs about being overweight in childhood

Knowledge, attitudes and behaviour regarding nutrition and dietary intake of seventh-grade students in rural areas of Mi Yun County, Beijing, China

Results From Shanghai’s (China) 2016 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth

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