Children who regularly take part in physical activity are 20 per cent happier than those who shun exercise in favour of computer games or television, according to recent research commissioned for the launch of Sainsbury’s Active Kids campaign.

In the study of 2,238 children, parents and teachers, conducted for Sainsbury’s by tickbox.net, children were asked to rate their level of happiness on a scale of one to five, with five being the happiest.

The research showed that children who took part in physical activity on a regular basis were three times more likely than children who did no physical activity to rate themselves five out of five, and twice as likely to consider themselves confident.

At the other end of the scale, children who did no exercise were four times more likely to rate themselves as unhappy and were five times more likely than active kids to have few or no friends.

In total, 40 per cent of children questioned exercise only once a week or never. This is in contrast with UK curriculum guidelines, which state children should take part in physical exercise at school at least twice a week.

Girls are typically the least active, with only 7 per cent saying they exercised five times a week at school compared to almost 20 per cent of boys.

The most important factor in determining children’s fitness was the attitude and behaviour of their parents, with 72 per cent of children claiming that if their mums and dads were more active this would encourage them to follow suit. Only 11 per cent of UK children claimed their parents were very active, while 40 per cent of children claimed their parents did no or very little exercise.

The research also looked at levels of activity and its impact on behaviour, social skills and stress levels. Inactive children were on average 25 per cent more likely to argue with their family. Similarly, parents of inactive kids were 10 times more likely to describe their home life as ‘very stressful’, compared to parents of highly active children.

Through an in-store voucher scheme, Sainsbury’s Active Kids offers equipment, kit and experiences that aim to go beyond the traditional curriculum-based sports and PE lessons.

The scheme, first launched last year, is supported by Dame Kelly Holmes, who was also recently named national school sports champion by Tessa Jowell, the culture, media and sport secretary.

Commenting on the research, Holmes said: “The research proves that regular physical activity can improve overall wellbeing. That’s why the Sainsbury’s Active Kids scheme is great, as it’s all about encouraging children to take part in fun activities regardless of their age or ability. It’s the taking part that counts and who knows where it might lead!”

To date, Sainsbury’s has donated £17m worth of equipment to 30,000 British schools through Active Kids. This year’s campaign will run until 30 May. Details: www.sainsburys.co.uk/activekids