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19 Jan 2009 10:54:15
A scientific study has been launched to examine the fitness levels of young people in Bedfordshire.
The Health and Physical Activity Promotion in Youth (HAPPY) research project is being carried out by experts at the University of Bedfordshire who will compare the effects of different strategies to promote physical activity and the impact it has on the health and well being of more than 250 young people.
The research study involves 11 middle and upper schools and is being funded and supported by the Bedford Charity (Harpur Trust) in response to the Government’s call for schools to promote life-long physical activity and improve fitness levels and health amongst the nation’s children.
Research is being led by Dr Catherine Kerr, Reader in Physical Activity and Well-Being, Dr Louise Brown, Research Fellow and Postgraduate Research Students Sarah Denton and Dan Bailey. “This isn’t a study about obesity,” say the researchers. “Slim children can also be at significant risk of illnesses such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes if they lead inactive lifestyles, and this is often overlooked. We will assess the current health, fitness and physical activity levels among 10 to 14-year-olds from varying backgrounds and then compare the effects of different school-based strategies on their health and fitness.”
Recent evidence suggests that this age group are not consistently fulfilling the Government’s recommended guidelines of one hour of moderate to vigorous exercise a day. It has also been found that a sharp decline in physical activity occurs when children reach adolescence.
Dr Kerr added: “The results of the research will be relevant not just in Bedfordshire but throughout the UK. It will provide benchmark evidence of the long-term positive effects of physical activity and will help promote fitness strategies amongst this core age group within the environments that influence them.
“It is important to develop and introduce education programmes that will influence their attitudes and behaviour towards physical activity as a lifelong discipline. Over the next two years we will accurately determine the physical activity levels, fitness, physical and the psycho-social well-being of the school children involved, and monitor the impact the different interventions have on these measures.”
The first phase of the HAPPY study is already underway with data being collected from children willingly taking part in the study. This will be repeated every three months, during which programmes aimed at encouraging increased exercise will take place. This will include youth-led initiatives, where a young person’s perceptions and attitudes can be significantly influenced by their peers, and strategies that focus on educating children about the health benefits of being physically active and how to effectively build activities into their different lifestyles.
The study is being supported by the University’s Psychology Department, as well as the Research into Activity, Exercise and Children’s Health (REACH) Group, based at Liverpool John Moore’s University.
Dr Stuart Fairclough of REACH said: “This is an exciting piece of research as the proposed intervention strategies acknowledge the complex, multidimensional nature of young people’s physical activity. It is hoped the results will shed more light on how young people’s interest and engagement in physical activity can be sustained.”
For further information about research from the University of Bedfordshire’s School of Physical Education and Sport Science visit www.beds.ac.uk/departments/pes/research
Latest news» 2009» January» Study aims to get children fitter, healthier, and happier
