Facts and Findings: Sports and Physical Activity

Also See:

The New Normal? What Girls Say About Healthy Living GirlSports Basic National Evaluation

Sports and Physical Activity

Although sports and physical activity are a part of girls' and boys' lives in and out of school at varying levels, girls tend to be less active than boys. The sports, education, youth development, and out-of-school time fields can provide opportunity for girls to engage in positive, healthy physical activity.

Statistics

• High school females were much more likely (51.7%) than their male counterparts (40%) to not attend physical education class one or more days in an average school week. (Centers for Disease Control, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States 2005)

• In 2005, a much higher percentage of adolescent males participate in vigorous physical activity than do their female peers. Within all racial and ethnic subgroups, activity levels for males are between 13 and 19 percentage points higher than for females. For all grades, activity levels for males are between 10 and 20 percentage points higher than for females. (ChildTrends.org, Child and Youth Indicators Databank: Vigorous Physical Activity by Youth, 2006)

• In 2005, more high school females (72.2%) than their male counterparts (56.2%) did not meet currently recommended levels of physical activity—doing any kind of physical that increased their heart rate and made them breathe hard for a total of at least 60 minutes per day. (Centers for Disease Control, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States 2005)

• The more physically active girls are, the greater their self-esteem and the more satisfied they are with their weight, regardless of how much they weigh. Eighty-three percent of very active girls say that physical activity makes them feel good about themselves. (The Girl Scout Research Institute, The New Normal? What Girls Say About Healthy Living (2006))

• For girls ages 11-17 it is the perception of being overweight, not just weight alone, that inhibits participation in sports and physical activities. (The Girl Scout Research Institute, The New Normal? What Girls Say About Healthy Living (2006))

• For teen girls, being both physically active and a team sports participant is associated with a lower prevalence of sexual risk-taking behaviors. (Kulig, K., Brener, N. & McManus, T. Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 2003)

• Many girls ages 11–17 say they do not play sports because they do not feel skilled or competent (40%) or because they do not think their bodies look good (23%). (The Girl Scout Research Institute, The New Normal? What Girls Say About Healthy Living (2006))

• A study of school reading texts found that boys were represented in physical activities 65% of the time, while girls were represented 35% of the time. In addition, boys dominated throwing and catching activities, while girls dominated dance and swing-set activities. (Henschel-Pellet, H.A. Research Quarterly, 2001)

• In 2001, 1 in 2.5 girls participated in high school sports—up from 1 in 27 in 1971. That figure represented an 800% increase from 1971. For boys, the figure has remained constant at 1 in 2. (Women's Sports Foundation, Women's Sports and Physical Activity Facts and Statistics, 2007)

• Overall, females are somewhat less likely than their male counterparts to watch four or more hours of TV on an average weekday. The largest difference appears among twelfth graders, where 17% of females watch four or more hours of TV on an average weekday compared to 24% of males. (ChildTrends.org, Child and Youth Indicators Databank: Watching Television, 2006)