- United Kingdom
New data published by the Youth Sport Trust and Women in Sport reveals a gender difference in attitudes to physical activity by teenagers. The children surveyed understand the importance of an active lifestyle. Data from the girls reveals big difference between girl’s attitudes and behaviour with reasons such as painful periods, self-consciousness, confidence, the pressure of school work and lack of encouragement from teachers and parents as reasons for not taking part in physical activity. The survey of 26,000 girls and boys from 138 schools shows:
• Secondary school aged boys (11-16) are happier with the amount of physical activity they take part in and enjoy it more than girls (71% of boys compared to 56% of girls).
• Competitive PE lessons appeal less to girls than boys.
• Pressure of school work and low confidence are much bigger barriers to taking part in physical activity for girls than boys (24% of girls compared to 13% of boys).
• Satisfaction with body image for girls declines with age. One in four are unhappy with their body image at 11-13 years and this figure increases to one in three by the time they reach 14-16 years
• Girls do not see the relevance of the skills they learn in PE to their lives (45% of girls compared to 60% of boys).
• Encouragement to be active from both the school and from parents is slightly lower for girls.
