Less than half of Polish children reach an adequate level of motor development, and most fall below the basic physical activity standards. Although the problem is worsening nationwide, locally, for example in Warsaw’s Praga-Północ District, schools, parents and local governments are undertaking initiatives to improve children’s physical activity. However, experts emphasise that it is important not only to spark children’s interest in sport, but also to create conditions for regular physical activity in everyday life.
“Nationwide, it is clear that physical activity among children and young people is currently a major health and social challenge. This is reflected in available data and expert opinions. However, in the context of our district, the situation is not so clear-cut. We are not seeing a reduced interest in sport as such. On the contrary, the engagement of schools, nurseries, sports clubs, organisations, and parents is substantial. What is key today is not only whether children want to be physically active, but whether we can create the best conditions for their natural everyday activity. Local governments should adopt a broader perspective on this issue, looking at the range of activities provided, health education, the availability of space, and cooperation with families,” Sylwester Klimiuk, Deputy Mayor of Praga-Północ, told Newseria.
Warsaw’s Praga-Północ District is the Polish participant in the European B-Challenged project, which aims to improve conditions for active outdoor play and promote healthy eating habits among children aged 6-12. It focuses on co-creating environments that support children’s health and reducing health inequalities in Europe.
“On the one hand, infrastructure is important. It involves both sports and recreational facilities that can be used in a convenient, safe, and regular way. On the other hand, an equally important aspect is the organisation of activities, daily habits, family time, and motivating children to be physically active from an early age. In densely built-up urban districts, such as Praga-Północ, which is relatively small, challenges often include limited space and heavy use of existing facilities,” – adds Sylwester Klimiuk.
A report from a study conducted within the “WF z AWF” project shows that 42% of children reach an appropriate level of motor development. Meanwhile, 60% of students do not meet basic physical activity standards. It also turns out that more than 90% of children have not acquired basic motor skills. For example, 89% cannot properly skip rope. During a March conference accompanying the report’s presentation, its authors emphasised that building proper exercise habits in young children requires not only the involvement of teachers and parents, but also municipal initiatives.
“Local governments have a very important role to play. First, they create and support specific programmes that encourage children and young people to be active. In our case, we implement classes and projects tailored to different age groups—from preschools, through older youth, to events involving entire families. This is important because physical activity develops best when it becomes part of everyday life, rather than a one-off event. Second, local authorities invest in infrastructure and its gradual modernisation. This includes both sports facilities and spaces around schools and educational institutions. We need to renovate existing facilities, because without them there will not be enough places for physical activity,” explains the Deputy Mayor.
The project in which Praga-Północ participates focuses on underserved urban areas in Denmark, Germany, Poland, Spain, and the Netherlands, i.e., areas with a high percentage of families characterised by lower income, lower levels of education, more health disadvantages (eg. physical/mental health problems, safety issues) and limited availability of attractive and safe (green) spaces for outdoor play. The Dutch research team selected a district in the western part of Amsterdam for participation.
“Every city in Europe has areas with unattractive public spaces. In some cases, housing needs are prioritised over green areas. In addition, not everywhere is safe in social and physical terms. We see that in less privileged areas housing families with lower income and education levels, there is less of everything – less money and fewer safe spaces. Improving the quality of playground infrastructure will certainly help, but it is not enough, because there are many social factors that also need to be considered. That is why, in our approach, we try to combine everything so that we do not focus only on the physical environment, but also on the social one,” says A/Prof. Teatske Altenburg from Amsterdam UMC.
The solutions developed within the B-Challenged project are based on epidemiology, participatory research, and health policy. Children, families, schools, local governments, healthcare professionals, and urban planners are involved in the design of solutions. Participants analyse local conditions, identify barriers and opportunities, and then plan initiatives that transform both the physical and social environment, promoting active outdoor play and healthy eating habits.
“Designing a child-friendly playground together with children themselves should be a legal requirement. We need to work on rules and regulations that ensure children are involved in adapting individual elements to their needs. We can also consider reducing traffic risks by
introducing standard speed limits in residential areas nationwide or even across Europe. I think that would be very helpful,” says Prof. Teatske Altenburg.
As she adds, insufficient physical activity among children and young people is a challenge not only in Poland or the Netherlands, but worldwide. A study conducted by an international team of researchers and published in The Lancet shows that 80% of adolescents are insufficiently physically active. A serious issue is that many of them spend at least two hours a day on smartphones or computers.
“The cause may also be the lack of affordable extracurricular activities for children. That is one side of the coin, and on the other hand we are all aware of the many opportunities to spend time in digital media. Children as young as 10 often already have mobile phones. All screen-related behaviours are highly addictive and children want to be online. Many of them experience FOMO, fear of missing out,” observes the researcher from Amsterdam UMC.