British South Asian kids 'less active'

London, April 20 (ANI): British South Asian kids are less active than their peers from other ethnic groups, a new study has found.

This study is another piece in the jigsaw in helping to understand why South Asians are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

For the study, the daily routines of 2,000 children aged nine and 10 in Birmingham, London and Leicester were examined. African-Caribbean and white European children also took part in the study.

All those involved in the study wore a small device around their waist, which recorded the amount of activity and steps taken by that child each day.

This was able to detail the time that had been spent doing sedentary, light, moderate and vigorous levels of activity.

The study showed that British South Asian children were found to spend longer periods in sedentary activities, such as playing computer games and watching television.

Researchers found that only 54 percent met the current recommended target of spending at least 60 minutes per day in moderate levels of activity compared with 70 percent of white European children and 69 percent of Black African Caribbean children.

"This is the first study to accurately assess ethnic differences in levels of activity amongst this age group and it shows that UK children of South Asian origin are less active overall than other children living in the UK," the BBC quoted Dr Christopher Owen, senior lecturer in epidemiology at St George's, University of London, who led the study, as saying.

"Increasing levels of physical activity in children of South Asian origin may be particularly important in helping to maintain their health in the longer term," Owen added. (ANI)