Written question asked by Lord Pendry (Labour), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Davies of Oldham (Labour) on Tuesday, 7 June 2005.

Young Mothers: Physical Activity

Question: Whether they collect statistics on how many young mothers participate in physical activity; and, if so, whether they will publish those statistics.

Answer: The Health Survey for England 2002, which focused specifically on children and young people aged 16 to 24, showed that only 22 per cent of young mothers (aged 16 to 24) met the Department of Health Chief Medical Officer's recommendations (participation in at least 30 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity on five or more days a week) compared to 29 per cent of females of the same range who are not mothers. This difference is statistically significant. It also measured those who took less than 30 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity once a week. This showed that young mothers were more likely to be sedentary than those of a similar age range who are not mothers, at 30 per cent and 36 per cent respectively. This difference is also statistically significant

Secondary information