An in-depth study of 1000 Dunedin teenagers and their means of transport to and from school has looked into their activity levels, nutrition levels and screen time and produced some worrying early results. BRENDA HARWOOD reports on the Beats study eight months on.
Many Dunedin teenagers are not meeting recommended guidelines for physical activity, nutrition and screen time, according to preliminary results from a study of more than 1000 high school pupils.
The Built Environment and Active Transport to School (Beats) study, being conducted by a multi-disciplinary research team, is studying the methods used by teenagers to get to and from school, as well as looking at physical and lifestyle factors. Volunteer pupils and parents have also taken part in a physical activity assessment, wearing an accelerometer (activity meter) for a week, and discussion groups.
Since the Beats study started in February, researchers have conducted individual surveys of more than 1000 pupils in nine Dunedin high schools. Three further schools - St Hilda's Collegiate, Otago Boys' High School, and Kavanagh College - will be surveyed early next year.
Beats study research team leader Dr Sandy Mandic, of the University of Otago School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise, said although it could take up to two years to fully analyse the data collected, some fascinating and concerning preliminary results were already emerging.
''We are finding that about one-third of students are using active transport [walking or cycling] to and from school, and less that one-fifth of students are meeting physical activity guidelines,'' Dr Mandic said.
In addition, only about one-quarter of the teenagers surveyed were meeting the recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables and about one-quarter were overweight or obese.
The most worrying trend, however, concerned screen time - sedentary time spent watching television, using computers, and playing games - with pupils reporting screen time of more than five hours each day, on average, Dr Mandic said.
''For me personally, as someone working in the public health area, this [the reported screen time] is the most concerning thing,'' she said.
The Beats study team is eager to share and discuss its preliminary results with schools and the wider community, and will present a Beats Study Symposium on November 5, at the Phys Ed School.
Beats study co-ordinator Ashley Mountfort said the symposium would allow researchers to explain preliminary results in detail. Wide-ranging issues had come up during the course of the study, including safety and traffic issues, driver behaviour, existing cycleways, and distance from school, Mrs Mountfort said.
''There are a lot of different influences on students' choices about active transport, and understanding those motivations and barriers will allow us to look at what could be modified to encourage active transport,'' she saidDr Mandic said the Beats study was ''unique in the world'' in that it had enjoyed 100% support from Dunedin high schools.
Alongside its multi-disciplinary research team, the Beats study was also working closely with the Dunedin City Council in terms of helping to identify the best approach to active transport across the city.
''The Beats study has been designed as a comprehensive base-line study for the city network,'' Dr Mandic said.
The intention was to return to the schools in five years' time, after the cycle network was embedded, and see whether changes to the built environment had led to changes in perceptions or habits, she said.
Study participants are needed for the Beats parental survey. For more information, contact Ashley Mountfort, phone 479-9112 or email beats@otago.ac.nz
