School uniforms may be barrier to physical activity among younger girls

Restrictive uniforms could be preventing primary school pupils, especially girls, from being physically active, research suggests.

In countries where most schools require students to wear uniforms, fewer young people reach the World Health Organization’s minimum recommendation of 60 minutes of physical activity a day across a whole week, according to a study by University of Cambridge.

There was a greater difference between girls and boys of primary-school age in countries where uniforms were common. The finding was not replicated among children of secondary-school age.

The findings confirm earlier evidence that girls feel less comfortable participating in active play if they are wearing certain types of clothing such as skirts or dresses.

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