Physical Activity protects Children from Stress

Scientists from Finland have found that children who undertake more physical activity enjoy better mental health. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism published the results, according to which children with lower levels of daytime physical activtiy have higher diurnal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis (HPAA) activity and HPAA responses to psychosocial stress. In order to collect the data the scientists conducted a cross-sectional study in a birth cohort in Helsinki, Finland, where they studied a total of 258 eight-year-old children. The participants were equipped with accelerometer devices on their wrists to measure physical activity, while saliva samples were taken in order to quantify cortisol levels. The children undertook arithmetic and story-telling tasks for the purpose of measuring reactions to stress. This study is the first to identify a correlation between physical activity and stress hormone responses in children.

The results underline the importance of ICSSPE's long-standing commitment to promoting physical activity and physical education in order to ensure a holistic development of children and youth.

The article named "Higher Levels of Physical Activity are Associated with Lower Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenocortical Axis Reactivity to Psychosocial Stress in Children" can be obtained from http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/early/2013/03/07/jc.2012-3745.abstract