Ohio study: Physical activity should be a vital sign for children’s health

A new study from Columbus-based researchers shows that the vast majority of youth do not get the federally recommended amount of exercise – 60 minutes per day (Source: “Study: Doctors should treat physical activity as a ‘vital sign’ of children’s overall health,” Columbus Dispatch, Dec. 6, 2018).

The new study by Nationwide Children’s Hospital, presented last month at an American Academy of Pediatrics conference, showed that only about 5 percent of children seen at outpatient pediatric sports-medicine clinics were getting the federally recommended amount of physical activity — at least one hour every day.

Among the other children, 50 percent were less active, and 5 percent participated in no physical activity. The remaining 40 percent were getting either too much exercise, or too much on certain days and too little on others.

The researchers said the numbers indicate a need for physicians to screen for physical activity just as they would a vital sign, akin to height or weight. Doctors should ask families how many minutes of activity youngsters get, discuss what’s enough or too much and, when necessary, write “prescriptions” for activity, ideally in specific programs, the researchers said.