: Kerala's student community continues to be inactive, unfit and increasingly underweight, threatening to reverse in the long run the decades-long progress the State has made on the health front.
According to the results of the health-related physical fitness tests, conducted as part of the Total Physical Fitness Programme (TPFP), only 15.56 per cent of schoolchildren in the State have been found to have the minimum fitness levels. The tests were conducted over the last four months on a total of 15, 65,609 students studying in 4,583 schools and enrolled in classes V to X.
Of those found to have the minimum fitness level, 17.89 per cent are boys while only 13.23 per cent could achieve pass muster. And though compared with last year, the overall percentage has showed a marginal increase -- it was just 14 per cent – of 1.56 per cent, in realistic terms the results are much lower as a total of 23,34,739 students from 6,100 schools had participated in the tests conducted in 2009-10.
Overall, only 80,334 students who took part in the testing process qualified for the second phase intended for talent identification and training in the various sports disciplines. And from among these children, only 824 students attained the A grade while 2,059 and 7,915 finished with B and C grades respectively.
Considering the State averages, the performances by girls in each age group was below the recommended standards on fitness variables as they progressed academically. Only elementary children proved to be physically fit, suggesting the decreasing emphasis on physical activity in the upper classes. This is proven by the fact that while 34 per cent girls studying in class V met the minimum standards, only 28 per cent of the class VII students could do so. It was worse at the class X level where only 14.18 per cent could notch the expected score.
The data reveals that 65.81 per cent of the girl students failed to meet the recommended standard in abdominal strength while it was a whopping 75.14 per cent when it came to flexibility. But what is more glaring is the evidence that 6.95 per cent of our girls are severely underweight (with a body mass index of 13) when compared with the WHO standard of 18 (normal range).
The testing process is conducted to check the aerobic capacity, body composition, abdominal strength, upper body strength and endurance and flexibility of the participating students. Analysing the results of the current year, TPFP project director T.I. Manoj told The Hindu on Sunday that the marks returned by the participants could devastate the health budget of the State if proper measures were not put in place on a priority basis.
This should include enhanced efforts to promote participation of students in physical activity and sports as a critical State priority. New steps too must be identified to inculcate the need for lifelong physical fitness. Besides, public-private partnerships should be strengthened to advance efforts in this direction, he said.
