4727.0.55.004 - Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey: Physical activity, 2012-13  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 05/12/2014  First Issue
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CHILDREN AGED 2-4 YEARS IN NON-REMOTE AREAS

For healthy development, learning, and enjoyment, it is important for toddlers and pre-schoolers to be physically active each day. Active play is the best type of physical activity, involving both indoor and particularly outdoor play.

    Data source and definitions

    The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey collected information on both indoor and outdoor activity times. The physical activity for 2-4 year olds did not need to be of a particular intensity and includes anything that involved movement.

    Outdoor physical activity or active play included throwing a ball, walking, running around, free play in playgrounds or sandpits, helping in the garden, or any other outdoor activity that involved movement.

    Indoor physical activity or active play included dancing, jumping, 'rough and tumble', tidying up, helping to set the table, or any other indoor activity that involved movement.


Physical Activity

In 2012-13, four in five (81.9%) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 2-4 years in non-remote areas met the physical activity recommendation of at least 3 hours of activity each day on the 3 days prior to the interview, averaging 6.6 hours of physical activity per day. A similar amount of time was spent on indoor (3.1 hours) and outdoor (3.5 hours) activity. There were no differences between boys and girls in either the number meeting the recommendation, or in the time spent on activities.

Physical activity times for non-Indigenous children were similar, with the only significant difference being that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children spent more time outdoors (3.5 hours) compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts (2.8 hours). The main contributor to this difference was Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls, who spent 3.7 hours undertaking outdoor play compared with non-Indigenous girls who spent 2.7 hours.

Graph Image for Children aged 2-4 years - Average time per day spent on indoor physical activity by Indigenous status (a)(b)(c), 2011-13

Footnote(s): (a) In non-remote areas (b) In the 3 days prior to interview (c) Excludes time not known

Source(s): Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey: Physical Activity, 2012-13

Graph Image for Children aged 2-4 years - Average time per day spent on outdoor physical activity by Indigenous status(a)(b)(c), 2011-13

Footnote(s): (a) In non-remote areas (b) In the 3 days prior to interview (c) Excludes time not known

Source(s): Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey: Physical Activity, 2012-13


Screen-based activity

Although a high rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 2-4 years in non-remote areas met the physical activity recommended guidelines, only one in three (32.4%) met the screen-based activity recommendations on all 3 days prior to interview. The average time spent on total screen-based activities was 90 minutes, 30 minutes more than the recommended 60 minutes or less per day with no noticeable differences between boys and girls. The results for non-Indigenous children were similar.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 2-4 years spent an average of 82 minutes watching television, videos or DVDs , and only 7 minutes playing electronic games. The same pattern was seen for non-Indigenous children.

One in three (34.2%) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 2-4 years in non-remote areas had a TV in their bedroom. The proportion of non-Indigenous children aged 2-4 years who had a TV in their bedroom was much lower at only one in ten (11.1%). However, having screen-based equipment located in the bedroom for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children did not result in significantly more time spent on screen-based activity.

Graph Image for Children aged 2-4 years - Proportion with screen-based items located in bedroom by Indigenous status (a), 2011-13

Footnote(s): (a) In non-remote areas

Source(s): Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey: Physical Activity, 2012-13


For more information, see Tables 15 and 16 on the Downloads page of this publication.