Geneva: More than 80 per cent of adolescents worldwide are not physically active, including 85 per cent girls and 78 per cent boys, putting their health at risk by not doing regular exercise and spending too much time on screen, according to a new study from World Health Organization (WHO).
The study based on data reported by 1.6 million 11 to 17-year-old students - found that across all 146 countries studied between 2001-2016, girls were less active than boys in all but four (Tonga, Samoa, Afghanistan and Zambia).
According to the WHO, levels of insufficient physical activity in adolescents continue to be extremely high, compromising their current and future health. Most countries in the study (73 per cent, 107 of 146) saw this gender gap widen between 2001-2016. The study also found that Bangladesh and India had the lowest rates of physical inactivity for boys and girls.
The study found that the greatest decreases in boys being insufficiently active were Bangladesh — from 73 per cent to 63 per cent, Singapore (78 per cent to 70 per cent), Thailand (78 per cent to 70 per cent), Benin (79 per cent to 71 per cent), Ireland (71 per cent to 64 per cent), and the US (71 per cent to 64 per cent).
Bangladesh was the country with the lowest prevalence of insufficient physical activity among boys, girls, and both genders combined (63 per cent, 69 per cent and 66 per cent, respectively).
—IANS
