Only a fraction of children in the UAE get the recommended amount of exercise during school days, a study has suggested, with girls particularly inactive.
Research carried out by New York University Abu Dhabi and Zayed University, at two private schools in the emirate, found only 19 per cent of youngsters accumulated 30 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day.
Data collection occurred in the spring of 2019, reflecting the landscape before pandemic conditions affected children's lives.
Even having a physical education lesson on the timetable had little impact on the amount of MVPA experienced on a given day.
Perhaps a significant amount of what is supposed to be 30 minutes of physical activity during PE classes is wasted doing instructions or waiting time or lining up the children
“Perhaps a significant amount of what is supposed to be 30 minutes of physical activity during PE classes is wasted on instructions or waiting time or lining up the children,” said Dr Abdishakur Abdulle, associate director of the Public Health Research Centre at New York University Abu Dhabi and the study’s senior author.
To measure their activity, 133 pupils at the two schools in Abu Dhabi – just over half of whom were obese – wore devices called accelerometers that measured their movement for up to five non-consecutive days. Four-fifths of the children were Arab and their average age was about 10 years.
The researchers worked out how much time the children spent moving during classes, lunch, break time, PE lessons and the school day as a whole.
A widely used guideline globally is that schoolchildren should have 60 minutes of MVPA per day, with the school day accounting for about half of this.
Most children fell short, with the deficit particularly acute for girls, just nine per cent of whom reached the 30-minute target, compared to 27 per cent of boys.
"The overwhelming majority of school children did not meet the recommended 30 minutes per day MVPA during school time," the researchers wrote in their paper in BMC Paediatrics, a journal that publishes peer-reviewed research articles.
“Girls substantially accumulated less MVPA and more sedentary minutes across all segments during the school days compared to boys.”
Schools, suggested Dr Abdulle, should “look at it again” to ensure that children were actually being physically active during PE.
One possibility is that children who do not enjoy a particular sport fail to engage properly in that lesson.
Another recommendation is that schools give children more free time, because both boys and girls were more active during lunch than during PE lessons.
“The child is doing what they like to do, whether it’s running around or wrestling,” Dr Abdulle said.
"Allowing free time is perhaps more effective than scheduled, structured physical activity as it is for now."
The study was co-written by Dr Rahma Ajja, an assistant professor at Zayed University, along with other researchers at Zayed University, All Saints University College of Medicine in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and at the University of Central Florida in the US.
Jeff Evans, managing director of the UAE educational consultancy Learning Key, said the amount of physical activity children experienced “varies widely across schools”.
“For example, in Abu Dhabi our private schools offer over 15 different curricula – the higher-performing and more diverse schools have regular local fixtures, break-time or after school leagues and clubs in many sports,” he said.
He said the emirate had “excellent” facilities and competitions for a wide range of sports, including athletics, cricket, baseball, jujitsu, rugby and swimming.
“Children who take part generally thoroughly enjoy their time and get to know classmates from other schools or areas,” he said.
“They learn respect, teamwork and resilience which adds to their academic progress.”
In Dubai he cited a number of efforts by schools to encourage children to be more active, with many taking part in the 30x30 Challenge, which aims for 30 minutes of exercise a day for 30 days.
“Other schools have integrated yoga for staff, parents and students to improve well-being and relaxation,” he said.
However, “a small but significant minority of schools” struggle to get pupils to be active and, given the high levels of diabetes in the UAE, he described the need for more exercise as “immense”.
Sometimes, he suggested, there was not enough support for children who wanted to stay behind after school for sport and who, as a result, had to be collected from school separately after the school buses had run.
Dubai fitness challenge run - in pictures
'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Poacher
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Trolls World Tour
Directed by: Walt Dohrn, David Smith
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake
Rating: 4 stars
Roll%20of%20Honour%2C%20men%E2%80%99s%20domestic%20rugby%20season
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
'Ghostbusters: From Beyond'
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace
Rating: 2/5
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MORE ON THE US DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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Most F1 world titles
7 — Michael Schumacher (1994, ’95, 2000, ’01 ’02, ’03, ’04)
7 — Lewis Hamilton (2008, ’14,’15, ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20)
5 — Juan Manuel Fangio (1951, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57)
4 — Alain Prost (1985, ’86, ’89, ’93)
4 — Sebastian Vettel (2010, ’11, ’12, ’13)
Top 5 concerns globally:
1. Unemployment
2. Spread of infectious diseases
3. Fiscal crises
4. Cyber attacks
5. Profound social instability
Top 5 concerns in the Mena region
1. Energy price shock
2. Fiscal crises
3. Spread of infectious diseases
4. Unmanageable inflation
5. Cyber attacks
Source: World Economic Foundation
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TOUCH RULES
Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.
A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
SHAITTAN
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