New WHO Rule Shows More Kids Meet Activity Goal

Many children worldwide still fall short of recommended movement. The World Health Organization updated its advice in 2020. Instead of a strict 60 minutes each day, the rule now says an average of 60 minutes per day, or 420 minutes each week.

Researchers looked at five large surveys from Australia and New Zealand. They compared a simple question that asks how many days a week a child gets 60 minutes of activity with longer questionnaires like the International Physical Activity Questionnaire for adolescents. They used statistical curves to see which simple answer matched the detailed data best.

The old rule was met by 28 to 55 percent of kids. Under the new rule, 35 to 84 percent qualified, an average rise of about 26 percent. The curve analysis gave scores between 0.73 and 0.91, showing good accuracy. Answering “4 or 5 days a week” on the single question identified most children who met the new target.

The study suggests that national health reports should adopt the updated guideline. For quick checks, asking kids to report 4‑5 days of activity per week gives a reliable picture of who is active enough.