Key News in Family Medicine November 02, 2018 (5 of 7)

More than half of American children do not do the amount of physical activity recommended each week. And most of those who respond to the recommendations are exercising longer and shorter, risking burnout or the risk of repetitive injury.

The abstract of the study, "Vital Sign Evaluation" of Pediatric Exercise in the Electronic Medical Record of the Sports Medicine Clinic, "will be presented on Saturday, November 3 at the 2018 National Conference and Exhibition of the American Academy of Pediatrics in Orlando.

The study examined self-reported physical activity of 7,822 children over a 3-year period. The children were seen in external pediatric sports medicine clinics. The data indicates that only 5.2% of children reported meeting the daily goals of physical activity. In addition, 49.6% were insufficiently active and 5% had no physical activity. The categories were based on the number of minutes per week that children participated in physical activity, based on the recommended 60 minutes per day or 420 minutes of activity per week.

"Exercise should be used as a vital sign of health," said abstract presenter Julie Young, MA, ATC, research assistant at the Division of Pediatric Sports Medicine at the National Children's Hospital. . "Physical activity has many benefits. Asking these questions can allow clinicians to have an important conversation with families about how to ensure children these benefits."

In the study, men had an average of 61 minutes more physical activity per week than women. Men were also 39% more likely than women to adhere to current physical activity guidelines of 420 minutes per week.

The researchers also noted that physical activity increased with age, with younger children reporting less exercise. Physical activity in early childhood is essential for the development of motor skills and physical literacy, which can affect life-long physical activity behaviors.

"Physical activity opportunities are diminishing – fewer free games and less physical education in schools," said Amy Valasek, MD, MS, sports medicine physician at National Hospital Children's Hospital. and Assistant Professor in the Pediatric Department of the Ohio State College of Medicine "But by asking simple questions about the daily activity, clinicians can advise and suggest an exercise prescription for a healthy physical activity . "