Table 8.5

Average time spent by children per day in physical activities and number of days active per week, by age and sex

 

Aged 2-15															1997
Average time spent per daya	Age														Total
	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Males
No active days	7	5	5	4	4	9	3	4	3	2	2	2	2	4	4
Active 1-4 days
Less than 30 minutes per day	7	11	13	11	4	9	6	4	5	6	7	10	4	8	7
30 minutes per day or more	7	8	9	13	13	13	15	12	11	11	9	6	5	7	10
Active 5-7 days
Less than 30 minutes per day	9	11	7	7	9	4	4	6	4	7	7	7	17	10	8
30-59 minutes per day	13	20	13	14	17	12	16	15	12	17	12	17	22	23	16
60-119 minutes per day	24	19	27	23	28	24	29	26	29	26	29	30	20	28	26
120 minutes per day or more	34	26	25	27	24	30	27	33	36	32	34	28	30	20	29
Females
No active days	10	6	6	5	8	7	5	4	4	3	5	3	4	6	6
Active 1-4 days
Less than 30 minutes per day	10	7	10	5	6	10	12	12	10	11	13	18	13	18	11
30 minutes per day or more	8	10	8	19	17	16	15	12	20	15	15	8	12	11	13
Active 5-7 days
Less than 30 minutes per day	9	13	12	9	9	8	6	11	9	19	21	25	25	29	14
30-59 minutes per day	15	18	14	20	15	15	18	18	15	19	21	21	22	18	18
60-119 minutes per day	19	19	19	22	25	22	23	24	23	19	15	17	14	12	20
120 minutes per day or more	29	28	30	20	20	23	22	18	19	14	11	9	11	6	19
Bases (weighted):
Males	169	173	159	170	170	174	190	158	163	179	164	134	156	137	2295
Females	173	163	183	166	168	180	182	165	178	160	148	143	148	128	2284
Bases (unweighted):
Males	270	267	252	260	247	265	280	242	246	265	250	198	236	207	3485
Females	264	250	279	256	251	269	267	252	274	238	220	215	237	207	3479

^a Average time spent per 'active' day in Sports and Exercise, Active Play, Housework/Gardening or Walking, based on a minimum of 15 minutes per activity.

We welcome your comments on this site. Prepared 14 May 1999