The Ganga Ram Institute for Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (GRIPMER)

Children’s activity levels are related to gender, family patterns and outdoor play. Boys are more active than girls, children whose parents participate in physical activity with them are more active and children who spend more time in outdoor play spaces are more active (BHF 2009). Brockman and others (2011b) note how boys tend to play further away from home with friends, while girls tend to play closer to home, often with family members. Both genders preferred unmanaged spaces for engaging in active play, rather than structured activities. Parents also have a strong influence on their children’s activity levels. If parents...