Physical Activity and Inactivity

Reference citations for all information below can be found in the complete long-form Report Card

The core focus of the Report Card is the Physical Activity Level of Canadian children and youth. Beyond this broad picture, it is important to consider that other factors may increase or decrease this overall level. Sport Participation, Active Transportation and Active Play are three positive contributors, while Screen Time is, for the most part, a negative contributor. This section will outline what we currently know about the physical activity and inactivity levels of children and youth in Canada. At all times, we strive to report quality data that are as recent as possible.

The Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute’s Canadian Physical Activity Levels Among Youth (CANPLAY) Study measures physical activity levels of children and youth objectively, using pedometers to measure daily steps. As it is the only objectively measured physical activity data currently available on children and youth in Canada, these data are critical to providing robust information about the state of physical inactivity in this country. We can now report on 3 consecutive years from this study, which gives us an indication of any progress over time (Figures 2 & 3)The importance of these data became particularly evident in May 2008 when they were reported to the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers responsible for Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation. Using the CANPLAY data as a baseline, the Ministers set the following first-ever national physical activity targets for children and youth aged 5 to 19 years: 

• by 2015, to increase by seven percentage points the proportion of children and youth who participate in 90 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity over and above activities of daily living; and 
• by 2015, to increase from 11,500 steps to 14,500 steps per day the average number of steps taken by all children and youth, which is equivalent to an increase of 30 minutes of physical activity per day.

The Deputy Ministers for each province and territory have been meeting and working collectively to establish key priorities and strategies to address these goals, and will present their plan to the Ministers in August of 2009.

Overall, the data show that the physical activity levels of Canadian children and youth are still far too low. However, there is some indication that progress might finally be on the horizon. Screen Time values are still high, but two surveys show some positive signs toward lower levels. Organized Sport and Physical Activity Participation is an area where Canada shows fairly strong participation rates. However, the presence of disparities in sport participation is concerning and tells us we still have a lot of work to do. Active Transportation rates continue to be low, but the research literature is building in this area and will soon be able to provide practical suggestions on how to overcome barriers to using active transportation. Active Play continues to be an area where we lack information; however, there is increasing momentum around understanding this important component of healthy development in children and youth.

Figure 2: The mean number of steps accumulated per day from 2005 to 2008 in Canadian children and youth. (Data source: CFLRI CANPLAY Survey)
Figure 3: The proportion of Canadian children and youth meeting Canadian physical activity guidelines from 2005 to 2008. (Data source: CFLRI CANPLAY Survey)

Main Findings

• Most self-reported physical activity data continue to disagree with objectively measured data.
• According to parental report, 42% of preschool-aged children surveyed in Edmonton accumulate 90 minutes of physical activity per day (SHAPE Preschool).
• 13% of Grade 10 girls and 27% of Grade 10 boys reported that they were “physically active” for 60 minutes every day (2005-2006 HBSC).
• 51% of a nationally representative sample of Canadian youth aged 12 to 17 were classified as “active” in their leisure time based on the total daily energy expenditure values (kcal/kg/day) calculated from a wide range of reported daily activities (CCHS 2007). This is equivalent to 60 minutes of daily walking.
• 55% of children in grades 5-8 from Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta were classified as “active” based on the total daily energy expenditure values (kcal/kg/day) calculated from a wide range of reported daily activities (SHAPES).
• 42% of youth in the 2008-2009 TTFM Survey reported that they accumulate at least 90 minute of physical activity everyday.
• Canada ranks 23rd out of 40 developed countries in the proportion of youth accumulating more than 2 hours or more per day of screen time – that is, Canada is among the upper half of countries with the highest proportion of youth accumulating excessive screen time (2005-2006 HBSC).
• There has been a steady increase in the percentage of children aged 4 to 5 years participating in organized sports at least once per week. However, the overall rate is still hovering around 15% (NLSCY 1994-2005).
• There has been a decline in sports participation in youth aged 15 to18 years between 1992 and 2005, from 77% to 59% (General Social Survey, Statistics Canada).
• In 2000-01, 86% of Canadian children and youth aged 6 to17 years reported having taken part in at least one extracurricular activity during the previous year.
• 50% of children aged 4 to 5 years participate in unorganized sport once per week. This trend decreased between the late 1990s and 2000; however, it appears to have rebounded in 2002-03 and 2004-05 (NLSCY 1994-2005).

Evidence of Disparities

• Both objectively measured and self-reported data show that boys are more active than girls.
• Both objectively measured and self-reported data show that younger children are more active than older youth.
• Various data sources show that children in lower socio-economic circumstances experience lower levels of physical activity and higher levels of inactivity.
• There is strong evidence that children with disabilities are less active than children with typical development.
• 40% of Canadian youth with physical disabilities spend more than 4 hours/day watching TV.
• Approximately half of children with disabilities who participated in of the 2006 Participation and Activity Limitation Survey (PALS) took part in organized sports activities (with a coach or instructor) outside of school hours.
• The number of athletes participating in Special Olympics Canada initiatives has tripled in the past 20 years.
• 60% of disabled youth report that they seldom or never play games with friends.

Recommendations for Action

General

• Develop, disseminate and evaluate physical activity guidelines and recommendations for preschool children. Review and revise guidelines on a regular basis.
• Make the outdoors safe, exciting and inviting. The job of policy-makers, health practitioners, parents, teachers, concerned citizens, community leaders and programmers is to do what is necessary to encourage and facilitate children and youth to get outside more often to play.
• Promote and vote for politicians who promise – and deliver – the following:
  • Traffic calming measures/car-free streets/very low speed limits/shared space design in residential areas (especially in new housing developments) – in other words, children are more important than cars!
  • Greening of the environment – planting trees, conserving open spaces.
  • Better parks and parklands, and play-workers to supervise open spaces of all kinds and build a sense of community.
  • Daycare and after-school care facilities, properly supervised, that involve outdoor activities in exciting environments.
  • Link programs intended to help children achieve activity targets. For example, if schools help achieve 30 minutes of daily physical activity (DPA), the community (through after-school programs, sport and recreation organizations) could contribute another 30 minutes, and family settings be seen as responsible for the remainder. That is, have marketing that promotes the joint responsibility and contribution of different partners.
  • Schools that aren’t frightened (or too burdened with red tape) to provide physical exercise and fun outdoor activities as part of the children’s education.
  • International laws and policing to ensure that those who threaten children’s safety are apprehended and their activities stopped.
• Ensure variety in the sport and physical activity programming that is offered to children and youth. Also, ensure that both competitive and recreational options are made available. 
•  Develop programs and messaging targeted at engaging children and youth in physical activity during the after-school period.
• Continue researching the impact of active gaming and screen time on physical activity levels.
• Develop educational messaging for parents of preschool-aged children focused on the importance of balancing physical activity and screen time.

Disabilities

• Develop motor skill development programs for all young children, including those with disabilities to develop the fundamental movement skills necessary for lifelong physical activity participation.
• Increase the opportunities for preschool-aged children, including those with developmental and behavioural disabilities, to participate in organized sport.
• Develop and implement a media campaign to promote sport and physical activity opportunities for children with disabilities. The contact information of local disabled sport organizations should be included in this campaign.
• Establish a governing body that monitors how many children with physical disabilities are participating annually in Para-sports. Resources need to be allocated to determine how many Canadian children with physical disabilities are involved in sport during childhood, in order to appropriately distribute resources and address gaps in participation.

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