A new study attempts to quantify what many parents likely already know: dismal activity levels for kids and youth fell even further during the pandemic, while screen use soared.

ParticipActionB次元官网网址檚 latest report card on physical activity gives children and youth a D for overall physical activity, with only about 28 per cent getting the recommended 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day. ThatB次元官网网址檚 down from D+ in 2020B次元官网网址檚 report card.

At the same time, kids succumbed to more screen time resulting in an F for sedentary behaviour, with just 18 per cent of children and youth meeting the recommended daily cap of two hours of recreational screen time. The grade is billed as B次元官网网址渁 significant decreaseB次元官网网址� from the D+ in 2020.

Before that, grades had steadily climbed from 2010B次元官网网址檚 F grade for physical activity and 2016B次元官网网址檚 F for sedentary behaviour.

The reportB次元官网网址檚 15th edition is based on data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, when play dates, sports activities and gym classes ground to a sudden halt for many kids.

For the third time in a row, the overall grade is an F, which takes into account physical activity, screen time and sleep recommendations.

ParticipActionB次元官网网址檚 scientific director, Dr. Leigh Vanderloo, largely pegs the backslide to fallout from the sweeping infectious control measures introduced in spring 2020.

But she also points to encouraging signs that many families discovered a fresh zeal for outdoor activities during the pandemic, suggesting that if outdoor enthusiasm continues while sports and physical education classes resume, grades could rise again.

B次元官网网址淚 do think this is going to serve as more of a blip,B次元官网网址� Vanderloo says of how the data will be viewed alongside past and future report cards.

B次元官网网址淭here was this reinvigoration for spending time outdoors. We saw it with campsite registrations B次元官网网址� park use, some of them were off the charts, theyB次元官网网址檝e never seen so much (demand among) people wanting to get outdoors. Partly because there werenB次元官网网址檛 a lot of options, but still, hopefully thatB次元官网网址檒l continue.B次元官网网址�

Greater difficulty may be found in reversing the spike in screen use, says Vanderloo, noting that school lockdowns forced kids onto laptops and computers to continue their education while social distancing rules drove up social media and screen-based entertainment in lieu of face-to-face friend time.

Add in the draw of TikTok and new, pandemic-era social media stars B次元官网网址� not to mention the likelihood that parents, too, have increased screen time B次元官网网址� and the challenge of untethering youth from their devices becomes especially tough, says Vanderloo.

Harm reduction strategies likely wonB次元官网网址檛 work now, she suggests, referring to the tactic as a B次元官网网址渇inger-wagging approachB次元官网网址� that stresses the detrimental effects of screen use.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think thatB次元官网网址檚 beneficial,B次元官网网址� says Vanderloo, believing people will continue to use screens more than they should.

A more effective strategy might be to enlist the entire family in assessing screen use and finding alternate activities to displace that sedentary time, she says.

B次元官网网址淲e know children are going to do it, we know that families are going to utilize screens as B次元官网网址� entertainment, to stay connected with loved ones or even to learn things,B次元官网网址� she says.

B次元官网网址淪o how can we ensure that while we are using screens weB次元官网网址檙e trying to do it as healthily and responsibly as possible? Is it having discussions? Is it co-viewing with the children? Is it designating screen-free zones within the house, like maybe not at dinnertime and not in the bedroom?B次元官网网址�

Also important is to examine social determinants of health including income, education and geography to understand how they affect a healthy lifestyle, adds Vanderloo.

For the first time, the report card examined wellness levels among girls, immigrants, Indigenous Peoples and LGBTQ and racialized youth, recognizing that the pandemic exacerbated previously existing health inequities.

It found increases in outdoor time were more likely for children in higher-income families, while car-free streets were generally found in areas that had fewer visible minority populations, as well as fewer households with children.

The report card is a synthesis of papers and national-level surveys but data on marginalized groups is lacking, found the study, which stresses the need for researchers to fill the gap.

B次元官网网址淚f we donB次元官网网址檛 have a baseline, how do we help support and really identify what their needs are?B次元官网网址� says Vanderloo.

B次元官网网址淚f weB次元官网网址檙e planning to shift the needle, we need to know. I think I was taken aback just by how little we knew.B次元官网网址�

The report did find bright spots: the publicB次元官网网址檚 embrace of parks, trails and other outdoor spaces for family entertainment and exercise allowed this yearB次元官网网址檚 grade for household support for physical activity to remain a C, while active transportation increased to a C- and active play improved to a D-, from F.

Vanderloo says the adult report card is expected in 2023.

B次元官网网址擟assandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press