ACHPER NSW - Research Page

Research

Physical Activity, childhood obesity and the impact of quality health and physical education on young people's health behaviours are some of the areas of focus for ACHPER and health professionals. They are arguably the issue for ACHPER members to address currently.

This section of the website provides information about new and ongoing research initiatives in Australia and internationally.

Australia's Physical Activity Recommendations for Children and Young People

The Australian Government has recently developed Physical Activity Recommendations for Children and Young People. These are that:

Children and young people should participate in at least 60 minutes (and up to several hours) of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity every day.
Children and young people should not spend more than 2 hours a day using electronic media for entertainment (eg computer games, Internet, TV), particularly during daylight hours.

The Recommendations are intended to identify the minimum level of physical activity required for good health in children and young people from 5-18 years of age.

How do we know that interventions are effective?

This article defines clinical trials of the 'gold standard' in research and provides teachers and teacher educators with a process for exploring the effectiveness and validity of their programs:

The costs of illness attributable to physical inactivity in Australia: A preliminary study

This research report presents a preliminary analysis of the costs of illness attributable to physical inactivity, with particular emphasis on coronary heart disease (CHD), non-insulin dependant diabetes (NIDDM) and colon cancer. Other costs of illness attributable to physical inactivity are described, although in less detail.

ACHPER: A national association supporting professional educators and advocating for the healthy development of children and youth