Socioeconomic inequalities in physical activity among children and adolescents in the UK and Ireland: a scoping review mapping evidence from 2015 to 2025.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Regular physical activity (PA) in childhood and adolescence provides health benefits. Levels of PA among children and adolescents are influenced by a range of factors, some of which are well-established, including sex and age; however, evidence regarding the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and PA remains equivocal, yet children from lower-income households are often less active than their more affluent peers. In the UK and Ireland, despite national policies promoting PA, evidence on how socioeconomic inequalities in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) have changed over time, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, remains limited. This scoping review aimed to map the extent and nature of research on socioeconomic differences in child and adolescent MVPA.

Des

SUBMITTER: Robinson S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC13630112 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature