[Current situation and cause analysis of physical activity in Chinese primary and middle school students in 2010].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the characteristics of physical activity in Chinese primary and middle school students, and to provide scientific basis for school  physical education and health work.


METHODS
The data were collected from 166 812 Han primary school pupils above grade 4, junior and senior middle  school students who participated in 2010 National Physical Fitness and Health Surveillance in 30 provinces (excluding autonomous regions,  municipalities).


RESULTS
Nationwide in 2010, 22.7% of the students had been physically active doing any kind of physical activity for a total of at least 60  minutes per day, the prevalence rates of the 9 to 13, 13 to 16, 16 to 19 age groups were 32.7%, 20.7% and 12.5%, respectively (P<0.01). The prevalence of  having been physically active for a total of at least 60 minutes per day was higher among the Eastern Region's students than the Western Region's  students in the different age groups (P<0.05), of whom 61.8% reported that they sweated and felt a little bit tired in physical education, 68.6% thought that  they liked their physical education, 72.4% were willing to take part in extracurricular physical activities organized by their school, and 46.4% were willing to  participate in the long distance running exercise. "Fear of fatigue or/and hardship" was the most important reason why the students did not actively  participate in physical activities and long-distance running exercise among both the boys and girls in the different age groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The  prevalence of having been physically active for a total of at least 60 minutes per day in Chinese students is still low, and there is an obvious difference in  the different groups. In the future, not only should the students' physical exercise time and intensity be further guaranteed, but also their awareness  strengthened and their habits of physical exercise cultured.
Department of Child, Adolescent and Women's Health, Peking University School of Public Health, Beijing, China.
Yi
Y
Song
Xin
X
Zhang
Tu-bao
TB
Yang
Bing
B
Zhang
Bin
B
Dong
Jun
J
Ma
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires