Physical activity: children European comparison
The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey allows physical activity levels in young people to be compared across countries. A direct comparison is possible, given the standard methodology adopted in each of the participating countries.
Chart 1 shows that Scotland compares reasonably favourably to the other participating European Union (EU) countries in terms of the percentage of 15-year-old boys achieving the recommended level of physical activity. Scotland has a higher percentage than more than half of the other participating EU countries.
Chart 2 shows a similar position in relation to 15 year-old-girls, with Scotland again having a higher percentage achieving the recommended level of activity than more than half of the other participating EU countries.
Like the Scottish Health Survey, the HBSC survey has found that boys are more likely than girls to achieve the recommended level of physical activity for children. This is the case across all the EU countries participating in the HBSC survey.
The HBSC survey produces lower estimates than the Scottish Health Survey of the percentage of young people achieving the recommended level of physical activity. However, the two surveys have very different methodologies and this may account for the difference in estimates. For details of the survey methodologies see the key data sources page.
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