30 May Patrick Abi Nader presents at the ISBNPA Annual Conference
Lebanon’s Report Card team leader Patrick Abi Nader has recently made a presentation titled “The 2022 Physical Activity Report Card for Lebanese Children and Youth: Encouraging Movement in Times of Hardships” at the International Society of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity Annual Conference. Citation details and the abstract are below.
Congratulations Patrick and team!
Abi Nader, P., Hadla, R., Majed, L., Mattar, L., Sayegh, S. The 2022 Physical Activity Report Card for Lebanese Children and Youth: Encouraging Movement in Times of Hardships. International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Annual Meeting. Phoenix, AZ, USA, May 18-21, 2022.
The 2022 Physical Activity Report Card for Lebanese Children and Youth: Encouraging Movement in Times of Hardships
Purpose: In 2018, Lebanon’s first physical activity report card for children and youth was published, highlighting several intervention priorities and gaps in the literature. To verify how the Lebanese situation evolved, the Lebanese Active Healthy Kids Work Group (LAHKWG) implemented once again an exhaustive synthesis of all recent literature.
Methods: The LAHKWG identified all peer reviewed literature, national surveys, and gray literature (e.g. government reports) that were published since December 2017 on 10 common indicators adopted by the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance (AHKGA) for the inception of “Global Matrix 4.0”. These indicators were: overall physical activity (PA), organized sport and PA, active play, active transportation, sedentary behaviors, physical fitness, family and peers, school, community and environment, and government. Two additional indicators (sleep and weight distribution) were added by the LAHKWG. The literature search revealed 764 records. Two independent researchers reviewed titles and abstracts to decide whether articles should be fully reviewed. Twenty-eight articles met inclusion criteria and were scrutinized by four researchers. Data from nationally representative samples for ages 5 to 17 years and related to established benchmarks were retrieved and served as the basis for grading the report card.
Results: Data on six indicators from one nationally representative sample were available for ages 13-17 years. No nationally representative data were available for ages below 13. According to AHKGA’s grading rubric, five indicators received an “Incomplete” (organized sport and PA; active Play; physical fitness; family and peers; community and environment); overall PA received a D-; two indicators received a D+ (active transportation and sleep); two indicators received a D (school and government); the sedentary behaviors indicator received a C; the weight status indicator received a B-.
Conclusion:Since 2019, Lebanon has been going through difficult times with overwhelming economic and political situations that are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, efforts to promote and offer physical activity opportunities for children and youth are essential components to foster mental health, wellbeing, and resilience. This report card highlights multiple areas for the improvement of PA services in Lebanon, and relevant stakeholders are strongly encouraged to take actions for change.