Schools and parents have a vital role in addressing the poor levels of physical activity among children in Macao, according to Jacky Ho, dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Saint Joseph (USJ).
Speaking to public broadcaster TDM after a forum on youth and health at USJ, Ho said local youngsters “may not have the energy” for exercise, because they spend so much time studying as a result of the pressure to have “high achievement in academic performance.”
According to the World Health Organisation, children aged between 5 and 17 should have at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week to maintain health. However, researchers have found that youth in Macao fall short, with schools offering at most 120 minutes of mild physical activity on a weekly basis.
[See more: The people of Macao are getting far less exercise than they should, a new survey shows]
Ho said that students spent as much as 70 percent of their school hours in sedentary fashion and suggested new kinds of “active learning,” involving getting outside of the classroom, to encourage greater movement.
“Sometimes we need a little motivation and a push for them to do that,” he told TDM, calling on policymakers, educators and parents to address the issue.
Children are not the only ones in Macao shirking physical activity. A 2023 survey of city residents found that almost two-thirds of people polled had done no exercise in the past three months.
