The Use of School Uniforms May Restrict Children’s Exercise Opportunities

Wearing a uniform to school is associated with a lack of physical activity in young children, especially girls.

While many children are missing World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations of at least 60 minutes of exercise per day, Mairead Ryan Researchers at the University of Cambridge decided to investigate why.

They analyzed existing data on the physical activity levels of more than 1 million children aged 5 to 17 in 135 countries and territories, and conducted an original online survey on the prevalence of school uniforms in these regions. compared with the results.

Overall, boys were 1.5 times more likely to meet WHO recommendations for physical activity than girls. But among younger children who live in areas where uniforms are the norm, the difference is nearly twice as large, Ryan said.

Among middle school students (generally 11 to 17 years old), uniforms did not appear to be associated with gender differences in physical activity. However, in primary school (ages 5 to 10), the difference between girls and boys was 9.8 percentage points in areas where at least 50 percent of schools required uniforms, compared to 5.5 percentage points in areas with low uniform requirements. was.

According to the researchers, the difference in results between older and younger children is that elementary school children get more physical activity from sporadic exercise throughout the day, whereas adolescents get most of their total physical activity. This may be due to the fact that they get this from structured activities.

“If girls wear skirts or dresses, they may feel less confident doing things like doing cartwheels and falls on the playground or riding their bikes on windy days,” the team members say. esther van slicealso at the University of Cambridge.

Although this finding does not show that school uniforms are the cause of lower physical activity rates, it is consistent with other research that suggests that children, especially girls, find uniforms restrictive. We are doing so.

Research in ChileFor example, it has been found that children's cardiovascular fitness improves when they wear sports-appropriate uniforms to school rather than traditional clothing such as skirts, blouses, ties, and blazers.Ireland's former sports minister worries that uniforms are hindering children's athletic activities jack chambers mentioned the issue In a December 2022 report on youth sports.

While the findings do not support a “total ban” on uniforms, they do suggest that further research is needed, particularly on whether changes to uniforms would help. “For example, we don't know if it's the design of the uniform, the fabric, or the shoes, but that could be a factor,” Ryan said.