Palihawadana Arachchige Lavanya Senari Wijegunathileke

• Physical fitness and mental wellbeing of Children from Newcastle upon Tyne: does it matter where you live?
• MB BS (NUMED Malaysia)

Being physically fit prevents physical and mental ill-health, but most children are not fit enough. Previous research in North-East England has shown that fitter children have improved mental wellbeing, and a healthier body weight. The COVID-19 lockdowns resulted in reduced physical fitness and increased body weight. Encouragingly, children who resumed their activities after lockdown returned to a good level of fitness, but many children have not managed to do that.

This project conducts fitness testing in children from a fee-paying school. This to check whether physical fitness, mental wellbeing, and body weight, are impacted by family background. The children will also be asked about the sports clubs they participate in. The results will inform policies that support a physically active environment for children.

Funded by: Newcastle University Research Scholarship

Project Supervisor: Dr Laura Basterfield