Physical activity of children from a small rural town, South Africa

Abstract

Introduction: Physical activity plays an integral role in the normal physical, mental, social and cognitive development of children. One of the main reasons for overweight children in low- and middle-income countries like South Africa is inactivity. This study’s aim was to describe the physical activity measured in boys and girls from section 21, quintile 5 pre-primary and primary schools in a small rural South African town and to compare it with recommended international physical activity levels.