Most Czech children do not meet international recommendations for physical activity

Prague, June 26 (CTK) - Three quarters of Czech children do not meet international recommendations for movement activities and they do not move 60 minutes a day, according to an international study on children and pupils' health and life style that Health Minister Leos Heger presented yesterday.

The study also found out that one fifth of boys and one tenth of girls suffer from overweight or obesity, more than a half of 13-year-old children and three quarters of 15-year-old ones have tried smoking.

The number of repeatedly drunk children and children who smoke, including marijuana, is increasing.

The data were found within a study that was conducted on some 230,000 children aged 11-15 from 41 countries of the world, including 5686 of them from the Czech Republic, in 2010.

The Czech Republic has been repeatedly criticised by international organisations for children's obesity, smoking and alcohol drinking.

Heger said a way towards reducing the number of smoking children is imposing a higher tax on tobacco products that the government has already approved.

The study found out that 18 percent of 15-year-old children smoke regularly. Czech 13-year-old girls placed second after Greenland in international comparison. Czech 13-year-old and 15-year-old children lead the alcohol drinking standings.

The study also revealed that seven out of ten children spend more than two hours daily with a computer, and that only 46 percent of 15-year-old boys and 42 percent of girls reguarly take a breakfast.

More than a fifth of boys and a quarter of girls aged 15 have sex experience, according to the study.

The average age of the first sex experience is 17.2 years.

Heger said he is preparing a new concept of prevention that will focus on a healthy life style.