{
  "id": 11099450,
  "title": "Weltweite Untersuchung: Studie: Drei- und Vierjährige laufen 18.000 Schritte am Tag",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/weltweite-untersuchung-studie-drei-und-vierjahrige-laufen-18-000",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-01T03:00:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/technik/forschung-innovation/weltweite-untersuchung-studie-drei-und-vierjaehrige-laufen-18000-schritte-am-tag/100258838.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "A major international study has found that three and four-year-old children typically take around 18,000 steps per day, which is far more than many adults realize. This finding comes from a study involving over 3,500 children across 44 countries, published in the Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal. The data was collected between 2018 and 2025 using movement sensors worn on the hips of the children for at least three days. The weighted median was found to be 18,542 steps per day, meaning that half the children took more and half took fewer steps. At three years old, children averaged about 17,500 steps, while four-year-olds took just over 19,000. The differences between individual children were significant, ranging from about 1,100 steps on the lower end to about 29,800 steps at the maximum. This means that in a single day, the gap between a less active and a very active child could be over 25,000 steps. Experts emphasize that physical activity in early childhood is crucial for growth and healthy development. However, they do not recommend a specific step count for preschoolers, as other factors also play a role in movement behavior. Future studies are encouraged to consider factors such as sitting times and sleep patterns in relation to physical activity. The World Health Organization (WHO) currently recommends at least 180 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity spread throughout the day for three and four-year-olds, with at least 60 minutes of this at a moderate-to-high intensity. No similar step-based guideline exists for adults. Oriented towards the WHO's recommendations for 18- to 64-year-olds, studies have previously suggested that children should aim for 7,000 to 10,000 steps per day. Children in low-income countries walked on average about 23,000 steps per day, which is about 5,000 more than their counterparts in high-income countries. The project, coordinated by the University of Wollongong in Australia, included countries with low and middle incomes, such as India and Kenya, as well as Europe, excluding Germany. Children in rural areas tended to take about 2,000 more steps than those in urban areas. As in previous studies, a gender gap was also observed. Three-year-old boys took about 1,640 more steps per day than girls of the same age, while four-year-old boys took around 1,150 more steps. The researchers suggest that differences in play behavior and leisure activities, as well as sociocultural influences, may contribute to these gender differences from a young age. The research team proposes that strategies to promote physical activity in early childhood should particularly consider girls and children with higher weights who tend to walk fewer steps.",
  "summary": "Kinder im Vorschulalter legen weltweit im Schnitt rund 18.000 Schritte täglich zurück – doch zwischen aktiven und bewegungsarmen Kindern liegen enorme Unterschiede. Diese Faktoren spielen eine Rolle.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}