Action plan targets youth health issues

Elementary school students take an eyesight test in Yuncheng, Shanxi province, in October. JING DONGBO/FOR CHINA DAILY

China has launched a five-year action plan to improve the overall health of children and adolescents, targeting five key issues that include obesity, myopia, mental health disorders, spinal curvature abnormalities and dental health.

The plan, jointly issued by the National Health Commission and 12 other government departments on Tuesday, sets a goal to effectively curb obesity among children and teenagers by 2030. It also aims to raise the proportion of primary and secondary school students who meet the national physical fitness criteria to at least 60 percent.

To achieve these goals, medical institutions are required to incorporate weight management into prenatal care. They will provide guidance through nutrition clinics and prenatal classes to promote healthy gestational weight gain and prevent high birth weight.

Primary care facilities will strengthen feeding assessments and health management for children aged 6 and under. Schools will incorporate nutrition and physical education into their curricula, regularly monitor students' height, weight and waist circumference, and refer cases of growth delays, overweight or obesity to hospitals for further intervention.

The plan emphasizes that primary and secondary school students must be guaranteed at least two hours of physical activity each day and are encouraged to master one or two sports skills. Sports authorities will broaden the range of youth sports events to ensure activities are available year-round.

To address myopia, China aims to gradually increase refractive screening rates among children and adolescents. By 2030, the myopia rate among 6-year-olds should be kept at around 3 percent. Rates for primary school students should fall below 32 percent, for junior high school students below 60 percent, and below 70 percent for senior high school students.

Efforts will be made to strengthen eye health care and vision screening at both medical institutions and schools. Parents will be guided to encourage children to spend more time outdoors, reduce the use of electronic devices and develop good visual habits from an early age.

The plan also requires all primary and secondary classrooms to meet national lighting standards and calls on schools to better manage screen use during tutoring sessions.

Excess weight and myopia remain the two most pressing health concerns among young people in China. Official data show that in 2020, the overweight rate was 6.8 percent for children under 6 and 11.1 percent for those aged 6 to 17. The obesity rate among children under 6 was 3.6 percent, rising to 7.9 percent for those aged 6 to 17.

Latest monitoring results show that while overweight and obesity rates among children under 6 have declined in recent years, the trend is rising among those aged 6 to 17.

In 2020, the overall myopia rate among children and adolescents stood at 52.7 percent, down 0.9 percentage points from 2018. Authorities said myopia rates across different school-age groups have shown a downward trend in recent years due to coordinated prevention efforts.

To strengthen mental health services, the action plan seeks to increase the proportion of children aged 6 and under receiving psychological and behavioral development monitoring to 90 percent by 2030.All schools will be required to have full-time or part-time mental health education teachers and to hold at least one mental health lecture or related educational activity each academic year.

To promote bone and spinal health, schools and parents are urged to ensure preschool children engage in three hours of physical activity daily. Primary and secondary school students should participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate — to high-intensity exercise each day, including muscle-strengthening activities at least three days a week.

Annual screening for spinal curvature abnormalities will be conducted for students aged 10 to 16 as part of routine health checks.

The plan also outlines measures to improve children's oral health by increasing access to relevant knowledge and skills, while strengthening annual oral examinations for students to curb tooth decay. By 2030,China aims to achieve effective intervention for dental decay among children aged 5 and 12.