Long-Term Health Studies Reveal Mixed Trends in Physical Activity and Youth Health in Germany
Two detailed studies from Germany reveal rising physical activity in older adults but growing health challenges including overweight and mental health issues among youth.
- • Long-term study in Bad Schönborn shows increased physical activity from 1992 to 2021 despite a slight drop in 2025.
- • Overweight children in Brandenburg rose from 27% (2018) to 30% (2023).
- • Only less than half of Brandenburg adolescents regularly engage in sports activities.
- • Mental health disorders in hospitalized children increased to 8.1% in 2023 from 6.5% a decade ago.
Key details
Recent long-term studies conducted in Germany provide an insightful picture of physical activity and health among various age groups, particularly children, adolescents, and older adults. Two key studies highlight these findings from both local and regional perspectives.
The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), collaborating with AOK Mittlerer Oberrhein and the community of Bad Schönborn, has tracked physical activity over three decades through the "Gesundheit zum Mitmachen" study. Data from the seventh wave collected between April and August 2025 reveal an encouraging long-term increase in physical activity among Bad Schönborn residents from 1992 to 2021. This upward trend was partially driven by many turning to exercise as a stress coping mechanism during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite a slight decline reported in 2025, physical activity remains significantly higher than in 2015, with older participants showing notable improvements. The study also underscores the health risks posed by physical inactivity, linking it to lifestyle diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, back pain, and depression. Over 1,000 local participants provided comprehensive health data through fitness assessments, questionnaires, and blood tests (ID 129613).
In contrast, a regional report focusing on children and adolescents in Brandenburg paints a more mixed picture. According to the recent health report "How is the Young Generation?", 84% of students rated their health as "fairly good." However, the prevalence of overweight youth has risen from 27% in 2018 to 30% in 2023. Physical activity among adolescents has declined; less than half engaged in regular sports activities in 2023. Additionally, mental health issues are increasing, with 8.1% of hospitalized children treated for mental or behavioral disorders in 2023, up from 6.5% a decade prior. Excessive media consumption impacts 30% of school entrants, and developmental disorders, especially in speech and language, affect about one-fifth of children starting school. The report highlights socioeconomic disparities, noting greater health burdens on children from lower-income families. On a positive note, tobacco use among adolescents dropped from 39% in 2005 to 15% in 2021, and alcohol use declined from 26% to 12% during the same period. Brandenburg Health Minister Britta Müller emphasized the report’s importance as a foundation for policymaking aimed at supporting youth health (ID 129607).
Together, these studies illustrate a complex landscape: while physical activity and fitness levels among adults in some communities have generally improved over decades, youth in broader regions face challenges with rising overweight rates, declining sports participation, and increasing mental health concerns. These findings highlight the critical need for targeted health promotion that addresses both physical and mental well-being across Germany’s population age groups.