Ireland's children have scored a Grade D on an international scale of physical activity levels, up from a Grade D minus in 2014.

The announcement was made at the International Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health in Bangkok, Thailand, where the children’s physical activity results of 38 countries from around the world were published.  

The Report Card on Physical Activity in Children and Youth collates data related to children’s physical activity levels in a particular country and assesses the evidence using a grading system similar to that of a school report.

The report examined ten physical activity barometers ranging from participation in organised sport, watching television and walking to school, to how the home, school, government and wider community support children in being active.

Specifically, in relation to overall physical activity levels, the Grade D awarded reflected data from five large studies across the island of Ireland, which found that an average of 25 per cent of young people reported being active for at least 60 minutes every day. 

In the global rankings, Ireland ranks in the middle of 38 countries presenting their Report Cards at International Congress comparing with Slovenia's A Minus, New Zealand's B Minus and Scotland's Grade F.

Dr. Deirdre Harrington, Lecturer in Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Health,University of Leicester comments: 

"Today, Ireland will join 37 other countries, including our near-neighbours in Scotland, England and Wales, as well as other nations such as Japan, Nigeria and Slovenia, in presenting each country's report card as part of the 2016 Global Matrix of Report Card grades. 

On the last occasion in 2014, we reported that Ireland’s children were awarded a D minus for physical activity, with less than 25 per cent of children being active enough.

Furthermore, the Republic has made some encouraging steps forward since 2014 with the publication of its first National Physical Activity Plan.

We would now call on the relevant departments to adequately fund and implement the actions set out so as to meet the explicit targets for increasing children’s physical activity.

It is an ambitious plan but, if fully implemented, will likely impact positively on grades awarded in the future. "

View the full report here

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