Physical inactivity is becoming a growing public health concern worldwide. Research shows that there is an average decline of 4.2% in total physical activity for each subsequent year of age. If the levels of physical activity remain low, there is an increased risk of obesity and other related health issues such as cardiovascular problems and diabetes.
Although there have been several population-based interventions aimed at increasing children’s physical activity levels, most of them are designed and implemented by school leaders or outside corporations, making it difficult to ascertain their effectiveness for inactive children who have not been specifically targeted.
The focus of the PhD research will be on developing a targeted approach to increase physical activity levels among the least active children, with the school as the primary vehicle to bring together parents, teachers, and children to support physical activity both inside and outside of the core school time.
