Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy (CAPL)

Today’s Canadian children and youth are bigger, weaker and less fit than they were a generation ago. Only 5% of children and youth meet the recommended Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines while spending 8.6 hours per day in sedentary pursuits. These results suggest that Canadian children today do not have the capacity to achieve and maintain a physically active lifestyle associated with optimal health. Physical literacy is the foundation for the healthy development of the whole person. It helps to create a lifelong relationship with physical activity and healthy lifestyles, and it supports individual performance to the best of one’s ability. Interns involved in this project will administer physical literacy assessments on approximately 8,000 kids in 3 provinces across Canada. This will help researchers to understand in more detail the current levels of physical literacy of children in Canada and raise awareness to areas where children 8 to 12 years of age are struggling with achieving levels of physical literacy that are associated with health benefits.

Faculty Supervisor:

Michelle Stone;Sarah Woodruff;Jennifer Copeland;Mark Tremblay;Brenda Bruner

Student:

Partner:

Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario;Crossfit Fortis;Jean MacRae and Tina Vaters Fitness Consulting;Runners Soul;Robert Fransua Inc;Cooking for the Rushed Inc;ParticipACTION

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

Dalhousie University; Nipissing University; University of Lethbridge; University of Ottawa; University of Windsor

Program:

Accelerate