North Yorkshire children urged to get active to protect mental health
It's as a study highlights the link between lack of exercise and depression
Playing football, rugby or netball as a child could help ward off mental health problems in adolescence, a new study suggests.
But time playing sports appears to taper off during children's school years, researchers found.
The new study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, examined data on more than 16,000 children in Sweden.
They were tracked from birth to the age of 18, with information gathered about their physical activity levels, time spent outdoors and time spend participating in organised sports.
Researchers also gathered information on whether or not the children were diagnosed with any psychiatric disorders.
During the study period, 15% of the youngsters were diagnosed with mental illness, including anxiety, depression, sleep problems and eating disorders.
And levels of exercise appeared to decline as children age - from an average of 4.2 hours a day among children the age of five to 2.5 hours a day for those aged 11 years.
Parents were also asked whether their child took part in an organised sport, such as football, dancing or horse riding, outside of school hours.
Academics found that exercise, particularly organised sports, appeared to carry a protective effect against mental illnesses during teenage years.
Those who were physically active at the age of 11 were found to be 12% less likely to be diagnosed with any psychiatric condition until they were 18 years old.
"I feel like I have a purpose"
Ryan Nicholls is a mental health programme lead at North Yorkshire's Health and Care Partnership: "“Sport is often seen as a way of getting fitter, getting physically healthy—weight loss, that sort of thing.
Actually, it’s a lot about mood. It’s a lot about the social element.”
“It’s about the wider impact. It’s about the parents. It’s about the guardians. It’s about the friendship.
It’s about that social connection, which maybe communities have lost.”
“It doesn’t mean you have to go play sport.
You could rock up to Harrogate Town and watch them. You could go to York City on match nights and just volunteer.
The worth and value that would bring to an individual, mentally, would be huge.”
“The reason I continue to be part of sport is really about how it makes me feel—emotionally connected and socially involved.
I feel like I have a purpose. I’m incredibly competitive as well, but you don’t have to be competitive to be part of sport.”