UK Health Radio Medical News Update on the Hour
The BBC has reported that more
than half of secondary school boys and two-thirds of girls never shower after they
have done PE, a study suggests.
The
paper, in the European Journal of Sports Sciences, concludes that pupils who do
not shower are also less active. The researchers, from the University of Essex,
say these children may miss out on the health benefits of PE lessons. Public
Health England says schools have an important role to play in shifting attitudes
to encourage physical activity.
This study says showering routinely after PE is extremely
rare. Nearly four thousand children took part in the study, from eight state
secondary schools across Essex, covering urban, rural, affluent and deprived
neighbourhoods.
All
had hot working showers in male and female changing rooms. The researchers say
children may be holding back in PE lessons - and therefore missing out on the
health benefits - because of anxiety about needing a shower. Those who did not
shower were less active, and - among girls - less fit.
Just over one in two boys in the study said they never
showered, about one in three said they did occasionally, and one in 10 said
they always had a shower after PE.
Two out of three girls said they never took a shower after
a PE lesson, and one in four said they did sometimes. About one in 13 said they
always showered. Dr Gavin Sandercock, who led the study, said he was surprised
at how rare showering had become.
"We
know that children aren't getting enough physical activity because we have seen
their fitness declining; if the unwillingness to shower is a barrier to working
up a sweat or playing sport it's something we need to tackle to promote
activity at schools.
The
paper points to the key role of PE in contributing to activity levels. But it
emphasises the need to exercise intensively to have an impact on aerobic
fitness.
Children
who reported doing physical activity with adults in their families were twice
as likely to shower after a PE class. Those who came from poorer backgrounds
were 40% less likely to shower than those from less deprived backgrounds.
The study did not examine the reasons behind these
decisions. Nor did it establish whether those who did not shower were unwilling
to exert themselves during PE.
But the researchers say concerns over showering are
"a potential barrier to intense, fitness-promoting exercise".
They
cite evidence from previous studies that has highlighted fears of bullying and
humiliation.
They argue lack of time is more a perceived barrier to
showering than a real one, and point out that all the schools had at least some
children who always took a shower.
Pamela
Naylor from Public Health England said body image was an important factor when
it came to undressing and showering after PE - but said this was just one of
many factors affecting activity levels.
"Schools, workplaces and local authorities all have a
role to play in shifting attitudes so that physical activity, and what comes
with it, like sweating and the need for showering, is encouraged and
accommodated.
"The more we embed physical activity into daily
routine, the closer we are to living healthier lifestyles where it is normal
for everybody to be active every day."
Alison Oliver from the Youth Sport Trust said any obstacles
preventing young people taking part in PE were a real concern.
"This research reinforces our own findings around the
differences in participation levels between boys and girls, and that is why we
have developed Girls Active, a groundbreaking programme which empowers and
inspires girls to take part in PE and sport. "
Amanda Thomas
UK Health Radio Medical News
Update on the Hour
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