While summer holidays are a time of relaxation and reunion for the whole family, they can also negatively impact children’s health, according to a study from the University of South Australia.
- A new study finds that summer vacation leads to an increase in sedentary behavior and screen time among children.
- These behaviors negatively impact children’s physical health and academic performance.
- Researchers are urging parents to pay more attention to their children’s screen time over the summer.
If I say summer vacation, you think: beach, swimming, sandcastles, bike rides or relaxing with the family. The reality for children would, in fact, be increased screen time and an increase in sedentary behavior. Which would have a negative impact on their physical fitness, according to researchers from the University of South Australia.
Their work was published in the international journal Children.
Children more sedentary during summer holidays
To better understand the impact of summer vacations on children’s health and academic performance, the team reviewed all the studies conducted on this topic in recent years. This represents more than 14 million schoolchildren. Analysis of the data shows that children aged 5 to 18 spend more time indoors and on screens during the summer holidays. This sedentary lifestyle leads to a decline in young people’s health, including less physical fitness and an unhealthy increase in body weight.
Their academic performance also appears to be affected. About 71% of the articles on numeracy skills examined by the researchers found significant declines in their learning.
Summer holidays: developing initiatives to encourage children to be active
“During the summer holidays, it’s normal for schoolchildren to become less active, eat more junk food and spend more time in front of screens. It’s important that they have some free time. But what we’ve noticed is that these behaviours are widespread enough to have significant negative impacts on health.”laments lead author Emily Eglitis in a communicated from the Australian University.
“This is especially true for disadvantaged children who experience serious health problems and academic difficulties during school holidays.”she adds.
The expert advises parents to pay more attention to the time their children spend in front of screens and to encourage activities that get them moving. She also recommends developing alternatives to prevent children from becoming sedentary during periods when they are not at school, such as workshops, playgrounds, day camps, activity programs, etc.
