A major new Irish study aims to tackle what is seen as a crisis in physical activity among young people.

Recent research by Dublin City University (DCU) found that just 11% of Irish teenagers have mastered basic skills, such as kicking a ball, catching a ball and skipping.

These skills are known as fundamental movement skills (FMS) and they are essential for supporting children's co-ordination and movement. In fact, FMS are seen as the building blocks of movement.

It is often assumed that these skills come naturally to children, however their development only occurs through relevant play opportunities and experiences. The window of opportunity for learning FMS is actually up to around the age of eight. After this, children will find it more difficult to learn them.

According to Dr Johann Issartel of DCU's School of Health and Human Performance, the findings from the DCU research marked ‘an unprecedented low'.

"It's a potential catastrophe for public health because the inability to perform FMS leads to an aversion to sports and exercise later in life," he explained.

In an attempt to tackle this issue, the Insight Centre for Data Analytics is leading the largest study ever conducted worldwide into the FMS crisis, with the aim of finding some sort of solution.

Researchers from the Insight Centre and DCU's School of Health and Human Performance are joining up with the GAA to launch this major project, entitled Moving Well Being Well.

"This is the largest project of its kind anywhere in the world. It is a wonderful example of the power of big data and data analytics. Technology will be used to gather and analyse data at a scale not previously possible. We will be assessing 3,000 children and with novel interventions, we will potentially reach 130,000 by the end of the project," explained Prof Noel O'Connor of the Insight Centre.

Over the next three months, 3,000 primary school students will be tested. The researchers will then create an intervention, which will be adopted by and delivered into schools by DCU and Insight Centre researchers, along with games promotions officers with the GAA.

This intervention will be delivered from next September.

Training sessions are already underway with the games promotion officers and it is hoped that in time, teachers will also be trained in how to deliver the intervention. After that, the students will be retested to see how it is working.

"The GAA and the Dublin GAA are delighted to be collaborating with the Insight and DCU researchers on this initiative. I don't think we need to be alarmist here but there is a problem and this project aims to tackle it in the most child-centred, activity-based, learner-led, achievement-oriented, fun-filled and value-laden manner possible," commented GAA director of games development and research, Pat Daly.