The WHO recommends that young people engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), on average, every day of the week. A recent international report shows that overall, only one-fifth of 11-, 13-, and 15-year-olds, including one-quarter of boys and 15 percent of girls, get the recommended daily amount of physical activity, writes Leila Oja, a researcher at the National Institute for Health Development (TAI) and co-author of the report.

When comparing age and gender, there are significant differences in daily physical activity, which decreases notably between the ages of 11 and 15, especially for girls.

For example, in the Health Behavior in Schoolchildren (HBSC) network, which includes 50 countries and regions in Europe, Central Asia, and Canada, one in five 11-year-old girls does not meet the WHO's recommended level of physical activity, compared with almost half of 15-year-old girls. 

Comparing the results in Estonia and the rest of Europe

Estonian youth are much less active than their European peers. Only 19 percent of Estonian boys were physically active at the suggested level, compared to 25 percent of European boys. Girls are generally less active than boys, with only 13 percent of them achieving the recommended level of physical activity.

This means that the difference between girls and their European peers is only two percent. Our girls follow the same pattern as in Europe, the recommended level of physical activity virtually halves from 17 percent to 9 percent between 11 and 15.

The HBSC Network researchers compared daily MTKA with the socio-economic status of families, as measured by the Family Affluence Scale (FAS).

Economic inequality contributes to physical inactivity. Young individuals from wealthier families are more likely to meet WHO daily physical activity guidelines. A young person from a better socio-economic background can, if they want to, find it easier to be physically active and participate in organized sporting activities.

The data also shows that family income affects boys' physical activity more than girls'. Only a fifth of boys from poorer homes meet the required physical activity level, while a third of boys from wealthier families do. For girls, the difference is just six percent (19 percent versus 13 percent).

Such social differences do not appear in all countries and regions. In Belgium, Ireland and Kazakhstan, for example, there were no significant differences.

Physical activity remains unchanged

The recommended daily moderate to vigorous physical activity for youth did not change from 2018 to 2022. Between 2018 and 2022, the recommended physical activity levels for youth either remained the same or changed by a few percentage points.

A year-to-year comparison shows that the recommended daily moderate to vigorous physical activity for young people remained unchanged over the 2018-2022 period. As the calculations show, between 2018 and 2022, the recommended levels of physical activity for young people either remained the same or changed by only a few percentage points.

However, the findings are concerning because regular physical activity is critical for young people's physical and mental health. Insufficient physical activity affects the health and well-being of young people, increasing their risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. Physical inactivity affects the health and well-being of young people, increasing their risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.

While there were no significant changes in overall physical activity levels between 2018 and 2022, there were variations at the national and regional levels, both up and down. For example, in Albania, Denmark, and Portugal, the number of boys who were physically active increased by 10 percent or more, and for girls in Albania and Denmark, it increased by five percent or more. At the same time, the number of young people who were physically active fell by more than five percent in Armenia, Greenland, Lithuania, and North Macedonia.

Physical inactivity

In addition to the recommended levels of physical activity, the report also assesses the number of young people who are physically inactive2. In general, physical inactivity among young people in Europe has increased dramatically, especially among girls.

For both boys and girls, the number of young people who are physically inactive increases significantly with age. While 19 percent of 11-year-old boys are inactive, 23 percent of girls of the same age are. The gap widens even further among older respondents, reaching 23 percent for 15-year-old boys and around 36 percent for girls. The number of inactive young people in Estonia also increases with age, but the biggest difference between boys and girls is for 13-year-olds –five percent. 

Situation of girls

Data from different years show that the inactivity rate for boys remains stable at 20 percent between 2018 and 2022, while the number of inactive girls increases significantly to 29 percent.

This means that almost a third of girls are at serious health risk, including obesity, cardiovascular disease and mental health problems.

In summary, although there are regional differences in the manifestations of physical activity and inactivity, the situation among the young people surveyed is similar in at least three respects.

• A very high proportion of young people do not reach the recommended levels of physical activity.
• The number of physically active young people decreases significantly between the ages of 11 and 15, especially among girls.
• Young people growing up in poorer socio-economic backgrounds tend to be less physically active.

The review is based on a report published by the WHO Regional Office for Europe and compiled by network researchers, including Leila Oja, using data from the Health Behavior in Schoolchildren (HBSC) 2021/2022 survey.

The study tracked the health behaviors and social environments of nearly 280 000 boys and girls aged 11, 13 and 15. Nearly 5,000 students from Estonia participated in the survey, which was conducted by the National Institute for Health Development.

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