TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A survey has found that 70% of Taiwanese between the age of 11 and 13 do not get enough exercise, and more than half of children say they want more physical education (PE) at school.

The Child Welfare League Foundation released the survey results on Friday (July 26), and said it was worrying that many children did not meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines for physical activity. The foundation said parents and schools should pay more attention to the issue, and made recommendations including more family exercise time, and more PE class time.

The report found that girls are in particular need of attention when it comes to lack of exercise, and more female friendly facilities are needed. Extra training was also recommended for educators so they can better understand the different needs of boys and girls when it comes to sport.

In addition to the 70% who do not get enough exercise, the foundation’s survey found 38% in the 11-13 year-old age bracket barely exercised at all.

The foundation said that according to WHO guidelines, 11-13 year olds should exercise for more than seven hours per week. In Taiwan, that would mean five and a half hours over and above PE classes children attend at school.

The survey found the average time Taiwanese children in that age bracket spend on extracurricular exercise is 3.3 hours. Only 29% were physically active for over five hours in a week during their spare time. 

It also found that 18.4% of students are in a state of poor physical fitness due to a long term lack of exercise, making them prone to chest pains and faintness when playing.

Despite that, the survey found that 86% of students look forward to school PE classes, and almost 54% of them would like to spend more time taking them. Children also said that they rarely feel they are pushing themselves during PE classes, with only 5% saying they “always or often” find themselves “sweating, panting, or tired” after class.

The foundation said that Taiwan’s current 80 to 90 minutes of PE class per week is low compared to other countries. It noted that French secondary students are required to take two to four hours PE per week, and most Japanese students spend at least four hours per week on PE.

According to the foundation's survey, boys were significantly more likely to exercise and engage in extracurricular sporting activities than girls. “The gender gap is huge,” the report said.

The foundation said that girls reported less parental support from boys when it comes to extracurricular sports, and that appearance anxiety affects girls more so than boys as they get older. Both of these factors impact girls’ willingness to participate in sports, the survey found.

A general lack of interest or awareness in sporting events among children was also discovered. The foundation said that parents have a role in changing this, and said exercising with children will have a positive impact on their future health.

“Increasing Taiwanese children’s participation in sports, healthy physical and mental development, enjoying sports, and developing good exercise habits can only be achieved if families, schools, and the government work together,” the foundation’s report said.

The survey collected 1,525 responses from 11-13 year olds from every city and county in Taiwan between April and May. Responses were roughly 50% each from boys and girls in grades five through seven.