Danish Schoolchildren Continue to Engage in Physical Activity More Than Other European Schoolchildren
Children and young people in Denmark continue to engage in sports and physical activities in their free time as they grow older, and to a greater extent than in other European countries, according to an international schoolchildren survey with data from 44 countries.
It is well-known that children become less physically active during their teenage years. This trend is observed both in Denmark and the rest of Europe. However, despite the general decline in physical activity as they age, children and young people in Denmark continue to engage in sports and physical activities in their free time, more so than children in most of Europe.
This is evident from the HBSC survey, Health Behaviour in School-aged Children, which draws on data from all European countries as well as Canada and several Central Asian countries. The survey is conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and is based on data from 279,117 children aged 11, 13, and 15 years, who have answered questions about how often they engage in sports and physical activities in their free time.
“Children generally become less physically active as they get older, especially during their teenage years. This usually happens when free play stops. Therefore, structured physical activities, such as sports programs in their free time, become important for keeping young people physically active. And it seems that this has been successful in Denmark compared to other countries. We can see that Danish 15-year-olds are more likely to continue engaging in sports and physical activities in their free time compared to their European peers,” explains Julie Ellegaard Ibáñez Román, a research assistant at the National Institute of Public Health, who contributes research to the international HBSC survey.
Danish 15-year-olds rank 12th on the list of the most physically active in their free time. This means they rank better than 36 other countries but are surpassed by Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland, which ranks first.
“There has been a lot of focus in Denmark on the dropout rate in organized sports when children get older and stop participating in planned sports activities. However, it seems that Danish young people continue to engage in sports and physical activities in their free time, just under different frameworks. For example, they might go to the gym or go for a run. There is still room for improvement, especially when we compare ourselves to our Nordic neighbors. But overall, it is positive that Danish young people continue to engage in sports and physical activities,” says Julie Ellegaard Ibáñez Román.
The survey is conducted every four years, with the next one scheduled for 2026.
The table shows 15-year-olds who engage in sports and physical activities three or more times a week.
Contact: Research Assistant Julie Ellegaard Ibáñez Román, email: jule@sdu.dk, phone: +45 6550 7614, and Associate Professor Mette Toftager, email: mtoftager@health.sdu.dk, phone: +45 6550 7853, Institute of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, SDU.