2010 Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth

Presentation Outline Active Healthy Kids Canada History, Strategic Direction, Strategic Partners 2010 Report Card Healthy Habits Start Earlier Than You Think: Start Young, Start Strong Report Card Influences and Indicators Physical Activity/Inactivity School Family and Peers Community and Built Environment Policy

Established in 1994, a national organization with a passionate voice for the development of active healthy children and youth in Canada. Focused on making physical activity a major priority in the everyday lives of Canadian families. Committed to providing expertise and direction to policymakers and the public on increasing and effectively allocating resources and attention toward physical activity for children and youth. Active Healthy Kids Canada

The primary vehicle to achieve this mandate is the Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth and its related activities. Mandate Strategic national leadership – advancing knowledge, evidence-informed communication and advocacy strategies – to influence issue stakeholders who affect physical activity opportunities for children and youth.

The Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth The Report Card, in its sixth year of production, is an evidence- informed communications and advocacy piece designed to provide insight into Canada’s “state of the nation” each year on how, as a country, we are being responsible in providing physical activity opportunities for children and youth.

Strategic Development Partners ParticipACTION facilitates design, dissemination and media outreach for the Report Card across Canada, through communications strategies that garner attention and provoke action across government, non- governmental organizations, the media and the public. The Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group at the the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute serves as the key knowledge partner, and leads the content development and writing of the Report Card, supported by a Research Work Group.

2010 Report Card Research Work Group Chair – Mark Tremblay CHEO Research Institute Coordinator - Rachel Colley CHEO Research Institute Cora Craig & Sue Cragg CFLRI Ian Janssen Queens University Steve Manske University of Waterloo John Spence University Alberta Doug Willms University of New Brunswick Michelle Brownrigg Active Healthy Kids Canada

Report Card Influences and Indicators The Report Card frames around the Physical Activity Levels grade. It assesses the influences and indicators that have an impact on Physical Activity Levels. It also looks at the outcomes associated with physical activity and how these also then influence Physical Activity Levels.

Short Form Report Card

Long Form Report Card

Data Sources Key data sources: Health Behaviour of School-aged Children Survey (HBSC) Tell Them from Me Survey (TTFM) Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute: Physical Activity Monitor; Survey of Canadian Schools; CANPLAY Survey; Survey of Municipalities Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) National Longitudinal Survey on Children and Youth (NLSCY) Participation and Activity Limitation Survey, Statistics Canada (PALS) SHAPE Survey (Alberta Preschoolers) WEB-Span Survey (Alberta) School Health Action Planning and Evaluation System (SHAPES) SHES: School Health Environment Survey In addition, the long form Report Card includes a comprehensive set of references and a variety of specific recommendations in each section and can be accessed at activehealthykids.ca.

Healthy Habits Start Earlier Than You Think The early years are a critical period for growth and development. Less than half of Canadian kids under five are getting regular physical activity as part of their daily routines.

Physical Activity in the Early Years The National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth indicates that only 36% of 2-3-year-olds and 44% of 4-5-year- olds engage regularly in unorganized sport and physical activity each week. A survey of Edmonton parents indicates that only 42% of preschoolers get 90 minutes of physical activity per day. In childcare centre settings, one US study shows that 89% of children’s time is spent being sedentary.

More than 90% of kids begin watching TV before the age of two, despite recommendations that screen time should be zero for children under 2, and limited to 1 hour for kids 2-5. National data show that 15.2% of 2-5-year-olds are overweight and 6.3% are obese. It is estimated that overweight 2-5-year-olds are 4 times as likely to be overweight as adults. In 1971, the average age at which children began to watch TV was 4 years; today, it is 5 months.

Active play is fun, but not frivolous. In the early years, active play is required for healthy development, as it builds confidence and basic movement skills, and fosters social interaction, imaginations and self- esteem.

Start Young, Start Strong Although work is ongoing to fill the gap, Canada does not have physical activity guidelines for children under 5. While international guidelines vary, the consensus is that all children aged 1 to 5 years should participate in at least two hours of physical activity every day, accumulated over many sessions and as part of play, games, transportation and recreation.

Recommendations for increasing physical activity in the early years: Policy-makers: Invest in active living for children under 5; ensure childcare policies mandate daily physical activity and adequately resource staff; target caregivers with incentives and messaging to get kids active and be active with them. Health and Recreation Professionals: Promote physical activity, active play and reduced screen time as part of early years support programs for families. Early Childhood Educators and Schools: Train and resource staff; and offer a minimum of 90 minutes of daily active play time, indoors and outdoors, structured and unstructured. Parents: Keep TVs out of bedrooms, institute screen time limits and create opportunities for active outdoor play for kids and as a family.

Physical Activity Levels The CFLRI CANYPLAY Study provides objectively measured data indicating that only 12% of children and youth are meeting Canada’s guidelines of 90 minutes (or 16,500 steps) of physical activity a day. F

Physical Activity Levels The proportion meeting the guidelines has decreased slightly from 13% in 2009, but still registers an increase from 9% in 2007, and 10% in This year, we see no forward movement towards meeting targets of 17% by 2015, as set out by provincial and territorial government ministers responsible for physical activity, recreation and sport.

Provincial and territorial breakdowns indicate that no province or territory is achieving the Canadian physical activity guideline of 16,500 steps per day. CFLRI CANPLAY STUDY

Physical Activity Recommendations Policy-makers, funders and programmers should pay particular attention to including the children and youth most in need of help when it comes to physical activity, those who are: 1) overweight or obese 2) adolescent girls 3) from an Aboriginal community 4) living with a disability 5) from a low-income family or low-education household.

Organized Sport and Physical Activity Participation Children involved in organized sport and physical activity programs have higher overall levels of physical activity. Income disparity consistently emerges in relation to organized sport participation. Despite being aimed at lower income families, the Canadian Fitness Tax Credit appears to benefit mostly middle and upper income families. C

Sport Participation Recommendations Target households that require support to overcome barriers associated with income, transportation, work schedules, etc. Policies and programs should focus on ensuring more variety and promotion of recreational sport leagues, with strong youth-led components, and opportunities for programs to be designed and delivered by youth. Consider opportunities to use screens to help promote active living

Active Play 74% children in a regional study indicated they would like to do something active after school if they had the choice. Children in the early years are increasingly spending a large proportion of their time in childcare centres where active play should be commonplace. However, recent research indicates centre settings are predominantly sedentary. F

Active Transportation Children who actively commute to school get more daily physical activity, but regional data show that less than 1/3 of children and youth use active transportation to get to and from school. D

Active Transportation and Active Play Recommendations Parents and schools should be encouraged to create solutions such as “walking school buses,” requiring that students be dropped off at least 400 metres from school, or discouraging parents who live in the immediate community from driving children to school altogether. Future national surveys are needed to assess active transportation rates among Canadian youth, in order to determine whether trends are improving. Families, child care centres, schools and community settings need to provide safe, supervised yet unstructured play spaces for active play where children and their peers can engage in physical activity of their own design.

Screen time and Physical Activity Kids are accumulating 6 hours of screen time on weekdays and over 7 hours on weekend days. Screen Time F

Screen Time Recommendations Parents should implement household rules on screen time. Active video gaming can replace sedentary time but not outdoor active play or physical education. Parents should be good role models and limit leisure-time screen time to a total of 2 hours per day. Parents should be provided with recommended guidelines on screen time from their family physician or pediatrician, and encouraged to offer alternatives to screen time in the early years. TVs and computers should be removed from children’s bedrooms.

Family Physical Activity Only 27% of parents say they are aware of Canada’s physical activity guidelines A US study showed 4 year old children with household routines of regular family meals, adequate sleep and limited screen time had 40% lower risk of obesity. D

Peers Another study found that 35% of kids cited peers as a reason they enjoy physical activity and sport. While there is not enough evidence to assign a grade, one study found that friends were the most important factor in young women’s participation in sport and physical activity. INC

Family and Peers Recommendations Promote 3 household routines that have been identified to help prevent childhood obesity: limiting TV time eating family meals together getting adequate sleep Implement positive youth development and youth-led models to foster peer engagement models Campaigns promoting physical activity in peer groups should be established to position spontaneous, recreational play as a means of expression and self- determination led by youth.

School Physical Education There are discrepancies between PE time mandated and PE time implemented. Sport and Physical Activity Opportunities at School In grade 6, 55% of boys and 53% of girls participate in school sports, by grade 12, 41% of boys and 27% of girls participate in school sports. Infrastructure and Equipment Provision of equipment and toys can increase physical activity and decrease sedentary time in kids attending preschool or daycare. School Policy Many schools in Canada have school-based policies relating to physical activity, however evidence of actual implementation is sparse. C- C B C

School Recommendations Have specialist physical education teachers at the elementary school level Implement daily physical activity that supplements physical education Increase research on the developmental and health outcomes of physical education School-based physical activity policies need to be thoroughly evaluated for effectiveness, uptake and outcomes Continue to support the Joint Consortium for School Health Provide a variety of physical activity and sporting opportunities that appeal to students with different interests and ability levels Forster student-led physical activity opportunities, particularly at secondary school Early childhood education centres should allocate financial resources for simple, age- appropriate toys and equipment to promote outdoor active play

Community and Built Environment Proximity and Accessibility Well over half of Canadians have physical activity facilities nearby and accessible to them Community Programming Well over half of Canadians agree there are a variety of appropriate programs available in their neighbourhood. Usage of Facilities, Programs, Parks and Playgrounds Less than half of Canadian children and youth use the community physical activity amenities available to them. 49% of parents agree that cost is a barrier to using programs B B+ D

Access to and use of Community Parks. Playgrounds, Facilities & Programs

Community and Built Environment Perceptions of Safety and Maintenance Well over half of Canadians perceive their neighbourhood to be safe enough to walk in, and engage in other physical activities with their children. Municipal Policies and Regulations 96% of 24 major municipalities surveyed in Canada have a community- level policy that hinders physical activity participation in children and youth. B D

Community and Built Environment Recommendations Increase resources allocated to advertising to attract families to use the programs and facilities in their neighbourhood From partnerships between community recreation centres and schools that allow children to access the recreation centre for programming during the school day can help to facilitate the introduction of families to the school and community facilities at other times Upgrade and renovate old park spaces to be more inviting for families by including child-friendly features. Facilitate community and neighbourhood programs that provide outdoor supervision for safe, unstructured play

Policy Federal Government Strategies There is no ‘stand-alone’ strategy focused on physical activity which can result in less priority for the issue. Provincial/Territorial Government Strategies Nine of the 13 provinces and territories have developed specific physical activity strategies. One has consultations underway to develop a strategy, and one has a strategic area for physical activity included as part of its “Wellness Strategy.” C+ B+

Policy Federal Government Investment While federal spending in real dollars per capita has risen since 2005, it is still half the amount that it was in Provincial/Territorial Government Investment Spending in provinces and territories has been steadily increasing over time and is double what it was in the 1980s in the five provinces where data could be obtained. Industry, philanthropic and research investments Funding has dropped in many sectors, largely because of the economic downturn. F C- C

Policy Recommendations A comprehensive national physical activity strategy involving increased federal investment and federal- provincial-territorial commitments for supportive policies is required at multiple levels to remove or reduce the social, organizational and environmental barriers to physical activity. Industry and philanthropy groups should maintain healthy active living as a priority area for funding as a fundamental contribution to healthy individuals, families, communities and overall society.

The Report Card was supported by the Public Health Agency of Canada and:

activehealthykids.ca