UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour Clocks Going Back Robs Children of Activity Time

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour

Clocks Going Back Robs Children of Activity Time

As the clocks go back for the autumn the BBC reports that if clocks were moved forward by one extra hour all year round in the UK this could lead to children getting more exercise every day, according to research.

A study of 23,000 children found that daily activity levels were 15% to 20% higher on summer days than they were on winter days.

The UK research team said increasing waking daylight hours would have a worthwhile benefit on public health.  Evening daylight plays a role in increasing physical activity in the late afternoon and early evening - the 'critical hours' for children's outdoor play.

Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of Bristol analysed the activity levels of a large group of children aged five to 16 years old in nine countries, including England and Australia.

All the children wore accelerometers or electronic devices around their waists that measured body movement.

The results, published in the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, suggest that more evening daylight can help keep children active for longer.

Proposals to shift the clocks forward by one additional hour for the whole year and not move them back in October, have been debated in parliament at various times over the years, but never been implemented.

The study calculated that these proposals - which would give British children 200 extra waking daylight hours per year - would increase the average time children spend doing moderate to vigorous physical activity from 33 to 35 minutes a day.

Lead author Dr Anna Goodman, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said an extra two minutes may not seem like much, "but it was not trivial in relation to children's overall activity levels".

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour

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