Health » Physical activity and body mass index: Physical activity of school-age children by region

The number of days during last 7 days when school-age (11, 13, 15 y. o.) children were physically active for at least 60 minutes.

Age groups are formed on the basis of forms 5, 7 and 9. The majority of students of these forms are 11...12, 13...14 or 15...16 years old. However, the research must also include the students who are repeating the year. As a prerequisite, 90% of the students must be of ±6 months the mean age of their age group, the remaining 10% must not be over the mean age of more than 12 months. The specification into age groups of 11, 13 and 15 years is in a way conditional because the cleaned files include also 12, 14 and 16 year old students in a certain amount.

Physical activities – all activities that accelerate heart beat and make people gasp for a while. Going in for sports, physical activity lessons, playing with friends or walking to school may be considered as physical activities. Other examples of physical activities are also running, fast walk, skateboarding, bicycling, dancing, skating, swimming, playing football or basketball.

The 15 counties are grouped into five administrative regions:
Rapla and Harju Counties together with the City of Tallinn
Eastern and the Western Viru Counties
Tartu, Pőlva, Valga and Vőru Counties
Järva, Viljandi and Pärnu Counties
Lääne, Hiiu and Saare Counties.

Unit: percent

Disaggregated by: academic year, physical activity, region

Note: 2005/2006 academic year data is weighted. 2009/2010 academic year data is unweighted, but is representative.

Source: National Institute of Health Development, Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC)

Physical activity and body mass index
Academic year Region (health) 5-7 days a week 1-4 days a week Physically inactive (not once)
2005/2006 Estonian average 40 56,3 3,6
2005/2006 Harju and Rapla County 41,2 55,2 3,6
2005/2006 Ida-Viru and Lääne-Viru county 39,5 56,1 4,4
2005/2006 Järva, Pärnu and Viljandi county 37,9 58,8 3,3
2005/2006 Tartu, Jõgeva, Põlva, Valga and Võru County 40,3 56,8 2,9
2005/2006 Hiiu, Saare and Lääne county 39,4 54,9 5,7
2009/2010 Estonian average 35,2 61,3 3,5
2009/2010 Harju and Rapla County 35,1 60,9 4,1
2009/2010 Ida-Viru and Lääne-Viru county 35,6 60,1 4,3
2009/2010 Järva, Pärnu and Viljandi county 36,8 61 2,2
2009/2010 Tartu, Jõgeva, Põlva, Valga and Võru County 35,5 62 2,6
2009/2010 Hiiu, Saare and Lääne county 32,1 63,8 4,1
2013/2014 Estonian average 40,2 56,2 3,6
2013/2014 Harju and Rapla County 39,4 56,6 4
2013/2014 Ida-Viru and Lääne-Viru county 40,2 56,6 3,5
2013/2014 Järva, Pärnu and Viljandi county 39,6 56,9 3,5
2013/2014 Tartu, Jõgeva, Põlva, Valga and Võru County 41,9 54,7 3,4
2013/2014 Hiiu, Saare and Lääne county 40,4 57 2,6