Health, Australia (Commonwealth Union) – As the Australian summer holidays approach, anticipation builds among children for a well-deserved break from school. However, recent research suggests that the upcoming leisure time might come with potential health risks, particularly in terms of excessive weight gain in kids.
The University of South Australia’s Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition, and Activity team conducted the ‘Life on Holidays’ study, focusing on changes in children’s fitness and fatness during school holidays. The findings reveal a concerning trend, indicating that children experience a more rapid increase in body fat during holiday periods compared to in-school periods.
Funded by the NHMRC, the study specifically targeted young children in Grades 4 and 5. The research highlighted that these children expended less energy during holidays than they did throughout the school year. The key findings included:
Sleep Duration: Children slept 12 minutes less per day during holidays compared to in-school periods.
Physical Activity: There was a reduction of 12 minutes per day in the time spent being physically active during holidays.
Screen Time: Children engaged in an additional 70 minutes per day of screen time during the holiday period.
The study’s alarming revelation is that children’s body fat increases at a more accelerated rate during holidays, coupled with a faster decline in aerobic fitness compared to in-school periods. These insights underscore the importance of addressing the potential health implications of extended downtime during school holidays, urging a balanced approach to ensure the well-being of young individuals.
This marks the inaugural study of its kind conducted outside of the United States.
Within Australia, the prevalence of overweight or obese children and teenagers stands at one in four. On a global scale, over 124 million children and adolescents face obesity, with 6% of girls and 8% of boys affected.
The lead researcher, Professor Tim Olds from the University of South Australia (UniSA), emphasizes the potential impact of promoting physical activities during school holidays as a strategy to combat unhealthy weight gain and diminishing fitness among children.
While acknowledging the importance of holiday downtime for kids and their parents, Professor Olds notes that the activities undertaken during vacations significantly differ from those in the regular school term, often posing challenges to children’s health.
“On school holidays, kids are significantly less active than when they’re at school, and this translates into higher body fat percentages and lower levels of fitness.
“During the holidays, kids spend about 12 minutes less each day in moderate to vigorous physical activity – almost an hour and a half a week – and get more than an hour’s extra screen time each day. They also spend an extra 20 minutes each day in transport, and a quarter of an hour more per day just chilling.
“It’s not surprising to find that kids get fatter at a faster rate on school holidays compared to school term, and lose a lot of fitness. If kids spent the whole year on holidays, their percentage of body fat would increase by about 4% more each year than if they had no holidays, and their fitness would decline by about 10% each year.
The two-year research initiative concentrated on children aged 9-10 years, with data collection occurring at the commencement and conclusion of Terms 1 and 4 in both Grades 4 and 5. Over 150 participants from the broader ‘Life on Holidays’ study actively contributed to this specific investigation.
Dr. Dot Dumuid, a co-researcher from the University of South Australia (UniSA), suggests that a potential solution lies in adopting the American tradition of summer camps and holiday programs in Australia. The objective is to enhance how children utilize their time during school holidays.
Dr. Dumuid emphasizes that the inherent characteristic of school holidays is their unstructured nature, allowing children to access food at their convenience and providing unrestricted use of computers and devices. Acknowledging the significant role of screen time in contributing to increased sedentary behavior during school holidays.
