Results from Estonia’s 2022 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth: Research Gaps and Five Key Messages and Actions to Follow
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Procedure
2.2. Design and Sample
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- The Estonian 2022 Report Card assessed ten indicators related to physical activity developed by the AHKGA (www.activehealthykids.org, accessed on 2 December 2020), which are based on the following components [23]:
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- The compliance rate with recommendations (Overall Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Physical Fitness);
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- The participation rate (Organized Sport and Physical Activity, Active Play, and Active Transportation);
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- The rate of support for physical activity (Family and Peers, School, Community and Environment, and Government).
3. Results
4. Discussion
4.1. Overall Physical Activity
4.2. Organized Sport and Physical Activity
4.3. Active Play
4.4. Active Transportation
4.5. Sedentary Behaviors
4.6. Physical Fitness
4.7. Family and Peers
4.8. School
4.9. Community and Environment
4.10. Government
5. Conclusions
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- Estonia, the country of exciting schoolyards and outdoor breaks! The development of schoolyards that provide activities for children of different ages, interests, and skills, regardless of weather and season. The redesigning of the school day to allow for a longer outdoor recess has increased the satisfactory levels of children and contributed to physical activity in schools. A schoolyard that offers accessible and diverse options can be a crucial element in providing infrastructure for physical activity and social interaction, benefiting not only the school community but also the whole community.
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- Make organized sports more accessible and varied! Expand the choices for participating in organized sports, such as multitraining, hobby, and open training groups, including free-of-charge groups, that support the participation of those children and youth who are not (anymore) interested in competing, but who wish to develop physical abilities, acquire new movement skills, spend active leisure time with peers, receive guidance, and feel welcome to training sessions.
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- Walking and cycling to every school! Developing and maintaining outdoor areas, the principles of child-centered space should be systematically considered, providing safe physical activity opportunities for children and youth and creating active movement habits from an early age. This might be supported by a later start of the school day, which encourages children’s independent active movement to school, even if for only part of the way.
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- Physical education that supports leisure time activities! A new PE curriculum was accepted at the beginning of 2023 by the government of Estonia. The Ministry of Education and Research has taken the implementation of the new PE curriculum as a priority. One of its aims is to provide students with physical-literacy-enhancing activities, so that every child and youth wants and knows how to be active. Teacher training courses aimed at introducing new lifestyle areas and other changes are also needed.
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- Children and youth physical activity as a cross-disciplinary priority! Develop a joint action plan, objectives, and resulting activities across ministries with the aim of systematically having children’s and young people’s health, as well as population physical activity, as a nationally prioritized issue. Alongside development plans and strategies, principles for achieving goals should also be highlighted, including cooperation between different sectors, continuous monitoring and evaluation, and data sharing.
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Indicator | 2022 | 2018 | 2016 |
---|---|---|---|
Overall Physical Activity | C+/D− * | D− | F |
Organized Sport and Physical Activity | B- | C | C |
Active Play | D | F | INC |
Active Transportation | D+ | D | INC |
Sedentary Behavior | D- | F | F |
Physical Fitness | C+ | INC | NA |
Family and Peers | C− | D | C |
School | C+ | C+ | C |
Community and Environment | B+ | B | B |
Government | B | B | C |
Indicator | Estonian Grades 2022 | GM 4.0 Average Grades for the 57 Countries | GM 4.0 Grades for the 21 European Countries |
---|---|---|---|
Overall Physical Activity | C+/D− * | D | D+ |
Organized Sport and Physical Activity | B− | C− | C |
Active Play | D | C− | C |
Active Transportation | D+ | C− | C |
Sedentary Behavior | D− | D+ | D+ |
Physical Fitness | C+ | C− | C |
Family and Peers | C− | C− | C+ |
School | C+ | C+ | B |
Community and Environment | B+ | C+ | B− |
Government | B | C | C |
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Mäestu, E.; Kull, M.; Mäestu, J.; Pihu, M.; Kais, K.; Riso, E.-M.; Koka, A.; Tilga, H.; Jürimäe, J. Results from Estonia’s 2022 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth: Research Gaps and Five Key Messages and Actions to Follow. Children 2023, 10, 1369. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10081369
Mäestu E, Kull M, Mäestu J, Pihu M, Kais K, Riso E-M, Koka A, Tilga H, Jürimäe J. Results from Estonia’s 2022 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth: Research Gaps and Five Key Messages and Actions to Follow. Children. 2023; 10(8):1369. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10081369
Chicago/Turabian StyleMäestu, Evelin, Merike Kull, Jarek Mäestu, Maret Pihu, Kristjan Kais, Eva-Maria Riso, Andre Koka, Henri Tilga, and Jaak Jürimäe. 2023. "Results from Estonia’s 2022 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth: Research Gaps and Five Key Messages and Actions to Follow" Children 10, no. 8: 1369. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10081369