Schools placing ‘poor value’ on PE, study finds
The research, looking at the experiences of students aged 15 to 17 across six different schools, found that of 393 teenagers, 20% were overweight or obese, and that only a minority reported high levels of physical activity.
The author of the study, Sarah Browne, a dietician and researcher, also found that 57% of participants reported that they never drank alcohol, but 25% reported some monthly alcohol consumption and 18% left the question unanswered.
The study also found poorer fibre intake among girls, who were also less likely to be engaged in “sporty” activities.
The research was submitted to Dublin City University and follows an early study by Ms Browne which found that shop-bought and school lunches were of a lower nutritional value than home-made lunches.
The latest findings showed factors influencing unhealthy food choice during school included independent school food operators, an open lunch time campus, close proximity to shops, price, taste, convenience, marketing, and peer norms.
With few exceptions, students reported that they travelled no further than 10 minutes by foot to food outlets at lunch time and local shops may play a more central in dietary behaviours at lunch time than fast food outlets.
It also found that 55.4% of girls and 44.8% of boys reported low physical activity levels and said “gender differences in school physical activity cultures were observed, with boys having more access to social supports and facilities for activity outside of PE compared to girls”.
The research also suggested that a lack of supervision was in some cases impacting on the use of PE equipment.
The report also addressed a perceived “lack of engagement with post-primary schools, in combination with poor environmental designs to promote active transport” meaning more car parking spaces than bike rack spaces.
“Findings from the visual content analysis of students’ photos indicate that schools in the study were abdicating responsibility for the provision of food and beverages to students during the school day in a number of ways,” it said.
The report added that external companies decided on the provision of food via canteens, shops and vending machines, free water was not accessible to students in a convenient and hygienic manner, and students were not enabled to take control over the storage and preparation of their food within the school environment.
Speaking about the study, Ms Browne said there were different cultures in different schools, and that teachers did believe schools had a role to play in the health and wellbeing of students, but felt constrained in doing so.
See doras.dcu.ie/21614/1/Sarah_Browne_PhD_ thesis_Doras_copy.pdf
