Prof. Dr. Xiaozan WANG
Changjiang Scholar, Ministry of Education
College of Physical Education and Health
East China Normal University
China
Prof. Dr. Xiaozan Wang is from College of Physical Education and Health, East China Normal University, a former president of International Chinese Society for Physical Activities and Health, vice president of International Society for Comparative Physical Education and Sports, and the first Secretary-General for World Physical Education Alliance (WPEA). Her research interests are in Curriculum of Physical Education and Teaching Reform, Learning Evaluation of Physical Education, Physical Education Teachers Education, Physical Education Monitoring and Management of Adolescents, and Learning Interest of Physical Education where she has published widely on these topics. She has led and directed many national initiatives in physical education, including Physical Education and Health Course Criterion, Physical Education Learning Assessment System of Middle and Elementary School, and New Courses Education Methodology of Middle and Elementary School. She also has presided over UNESCO-funded projects in the Asia-Pacific region, major projects of the National Social Science Fund as well as 51 projects of the Ministry of Education and Shanghai. She has edited more than 54 books and textbooks in the research for exercise and sport, international sport studies, sports science, and other high-level journals such as SSCI, SCI, CSSCI, etc. She has published more than 150 academic papers at AERA, AAHPERD, AIESEP, NASPE and other domestic and international academic conferences. Prof. Dr. Wang has been the first female Changjiang Scholar of Chinese Ministry of Education, won the first prize of the 4th National Education Scientific Research Outstanding Achievement Award, Baosteel Education Foundation Outstanding Teacher Awards Nomination Award, and other 54 national and provincial-level teaching and research awards.
Physical Activity among Chinese Children and Adolescents: A Large-Scale Investigation
Insufficient physical activity (PA) in children and adolescents has been associated with negative impacts on physical and mental health, cognitive ability, and academic performance. However, in China, there is limited research on the PA status of children and adolescents. This study aimed to assess PA levels and compare differences in PA between genders and grade levels in Chinese children and adolescents. The study included a sample of 150,440 participants (49% females) from elementary school (58%), middle school (30%), and high school (12%) were selected to collect physical activity (PA) data using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C). PAQ-C is a self-administered questionnaire that collects PA data from the previous 7 days and has a score range from 1 (low) to 5 (high). To compare the differences in PA between gender and grade levels, Mann-Whitney test and Kruskal-Wallis test were conducted. The overall PA level of Chinese children and adolescents was low (PAQ-C score of 2.02 ± 0.72). The most active PA participation was reported in physical education classes (3.90 ± 0.98), while the frequency of daily participation in sports was low (1.33 ± 0.63). Boys had significantly higher PA compared to girls (2.11 ± 0.72 vs. 1.92 ± 0.70, P < 0.001). There were also significant differences in PA among elementary (2.63 ± 0.64), middle (2.42 ± 0.64), and high school students (2.25 ± 0.65), with PA decreasing as grade level increased (P < 0.001). This study found a low PA level in Chinese children and adolescents, particularly among girls and higher-grade students. Our findings highlight the need for effective strategies to improve PA, with targeted attention to these vulnerable groups.