Health inequalities: How and why physical education can help and hinder the equity agenda

Research consistently demonstrates that social inequalities and health inequalities are closely aligned. Developing critical pedagogies in physical education (PE) relies upon understanding the relevance and influence of social inequalities within this context. Despite strong evidence for the social determinants of health, health policy and promotion often focus on individual lifestyle factors (e.g. physical activity and diet) with the aim of mass-scale behaviour change. Moreover, children and young people are routinely targeted for physical activity promotion and schools are positioned as important sites for health interventions, including initiatives that are part of a wider ‘war on obesity’. For example, in the UK, children are weighed during class-time for the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) and revenue generated from the so-called sugar tax has been granted to schools to support PE, after-school activities and healthy eating initiatives. This chapter critically examines the relationships between health inequalities and PE through an equity lens to illustrate how and why PE offers possibilities for reducing – and exacerbating – health inequalities.