Report Card Grades

• Overall Physical Activity: C-
• Organized Sport and Physical Activity: INC
• Active Play: INC
• Active Transportation: C-
• Sedentary Behavior: A-
• Physical Fitness: INC
• Family and Peers: INC
• School: INC
• Community and Environment: INC
• Government: C-

Related Links

• Short form
• Scientific paper
• Poster
• Website
• Conference abstract

Media Impact

Top Three Priorities

1. Create more opportunities for active commuting, organised sports at schools, and active play at communities;
2. Establish a national physical activity surveillance along with promotion of research through government and non-government partnerships; and
3. Develop a national policy for active lifestyle and ensure its proper implementation and monitoring.

Report Card Leaders

Riaz Uddin, Ph.D.

Asaduzzaman Khan, Ph.D.

Testimonials

"I am very pleased and privileged to be a part of the AHKGA Global Matrix 3.0 initiative, which provided us with a unique opportunity to showcase physical activity status in children and youth in Bangladesh. The country Report Card will help us to advocate for increasing physical activity opportunities to make our kids more active." - Riaz Uddin, Ph.D.

"It has been a great experience working with such a wonderful group of people through the Global Matrix 3.0 initiative. We need to build upon the platform Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance (AHKGA) has created and fulfil our commitments towards an active healthy childhood for every kid around the world." - Asaduzzaman Khan, Ph.D.

Conference Abstract: Movement to Move

Results from the 2018 Active Healthy Kids Bangladesh Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth

Asaduzzaman Khan¹, Mohammad Abdul Kadir², Sohel Reza Choudhury³, Fatema Ashraf⁴, Mahbubur Rahman⁵, Kazi Rumana Ahmed^1,6, K. M. Saif-Ur-Rahman⁵ Sonia Parvin^1,5, Riaz Uddin^1,7

¹ The University of Queensland, Australia
² Griffith University, Australia
³ National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh
⁴ Public Health Foundation of Bangladesh
⁵ icddr,b, Bangladesh
⁶ Bangladesh University of Health Sciences
⁷ Stamford University Bangladesh

Introduction

The 2018 Bangladesh Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth is a synthesis of the existing evidence of activity behaviours, available supports, and policy strategies for active lifestyle of young people in Bangladesh.

Methods

A research working group (RWG) representing experts from the key stakeholders in Bangladesh discussed the ten core indicators of the Global Matrix 3.0, and suggested an additional indicator ‘Contribution of the non-government organisations’. Data for these 11 indicators were extracted, collated, and used to grade the indicators based on the Global Matrix 3.0 grading scheme. Grades were finalised after consultation with the RWG members.

Results

Among the 11 indicators, data to grade were available for five. Each of ‘Overall physical activity’ and ‘Active transportation’ indicators received a grade ‘C-’, and ‘Sedentary behaviours’ received an ‘A-’. ‘Government strategies and investments’ and ‘Contributions of the non-government organisations’ were graded ‘C-’. The rest of the six indicators were assigned ‘INC’.

Conclusions

Sedentary behaviour of the young people in Bangladesh seems to be satisfactory; however, a significant proportion of them do not engage in the recommended level of physical activity. There is a lack of data on other activity indicators including organised sports, family and peer supports, activity opportunities at schools, and activity friendly environment. Though available policies demonstrate governments’ commitments to an active lifestyle of young people in Bangladesh, the operationalisation of these policies is limited. The Report Card, therefore, calls for collecting surveillance data on all the indicators, which is instrumental to develop strategies for an active lifestyle of children and youth in Bangladesh.