According to a global study, school uniform policies could be preventing children from exercising.
Researchers found that children were less likely to get the minimum 60 minutes of daily physical activity recommended in countries with school uniforms.
While girls are less likely than boys to reach the goal, the gap is wider at primary school when students must wear uniforms.
In the United States, almost 15 millionchildren and adolescents are obese. This is around one fifth of all children.
Only 1 in 5 teenagers meet the World Health Organization’s 60-minute daily target for physical exercise.
Researchers say their findings don’t prove uniforms are a barrier to activity. However, they agree with previous studies that have shown that uniforms could be an obstacle.
Researchers say that girls, especially, may be less confident about exercising if they wear certain clothes such as dresses or skirts.
The study was published in the Journal of Health and Sport Science. Dr Mairead Ryan is the researcher who conducted the study.
“We do not want to suggest that they be banned outright, but we are presenting new evidence in order to help support the decision-making process.
The school community could look at the design and determine if certain characteristics of a uniform would encourage or hinder physical activity throughout the day.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 1.1 millions children aged 5-17 in 135 different countries and regions. Around three quarters (75%) of countries studied mandated uniforms for the majority of schools.
Around 16% of children in countries where uniforms are the norm met the WHO goal, compared to 19.5% in countries with less uniform use.
At all ages boys were more likely than girls to reach the target, but the gap between the two grew at the primary school age from 5.5% where uniforms are not mandatory to 9.8% in countries that require uniforms.
The study’s co-author, Dr Esther van Sluijs of the MRC Epidemiology Unit, said that girls might be less confident if they wear a dress or skirt when doing cartwheels or tumbles on the playground or while riding a bicycle in a windy environment.
Social norms and expectations influence what people feel they can achieve in their clothes. This is a serious problem when it comes time to promote physical health.
In a previous study conducted in England, it was found that the design and color of girls’ P.E. uniforms discouraged them from participating in certain forms of exercise. Uniforms can discourage girls from participating in certain forms of exercise.
Clothing could be another factor that influences the amount of physical activity children do outside of formal P.E. lessons, Ryan said.
She said that physical activity can be incorporated into daily life by incorporating activities such as walking or cycling to and from school, playing during break time, and outdoor play after school.
We are interested to see how much the environment of young people, such as what they wear, can encourage these behaviors.
Ryan suggested that further research should be conducted to determine whether uniforms in schools cause lower levels of activity.
She added that regular physical activity supports multiple needs including mental and physical well-being, academic success, and physical health.
We need to gather more data on this topic, including factors such as how long students keep their uniforms after school and whether it varies based on their background. Also, we should consider how gendered clothing standards may affect their activities.