The purpose of this study is to identify regional differences in outdoor activity time and screen-viewing time of preschool children in urban and rural areas and to provide data on the environmental factors to identify modifiable determinants for each region. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1772 out of 2790 children between the age of 3 to 6 years living in northern China, with their consent. A cross-sectional study was conducted among preschool children living in urban (n = 1114) and rural areas (n = 658) in northern China. To assess environmental factors, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used for neighborhood environments, and the questionnaire included three items each for the physical home environment and socio-cultural environment domains. We observed the associations between outdoor play for urban children and sidewalks in the neighborhood, paths for cycles, aesthetic qualities, and “motor vehicles. In addition, in rural areas, screen-viewing time and environmental factors were found to be positively correlated with traffic, limited place and method of outdoor play, and were negatively correlated with the importance of academics and need for company in outdoor play. This has important implications for the development of effective intervention programs for preschool children in China in the future.
The World Health Organization recognizes Internet gaming disorder (IGD) as a disorder that causes problems in daily life as a result of excessive interest in online games. The causes of IGD have become more apparent in recent years. Because of prolonged exposure to games, the mechanisms controlling the reward system, such as the prefrontal cortex, limbic system, and amygdala of the cerebrum, do not function properly in IGD. This mechanism is similar to that of various behavioral addictions, such as gambling addiction. IGD is particularly risky in children and adolescents because it easily causes brain dysfunction, especially in the developing brain. IGD should be regarded as a new lifestyle-related disease in younger individuals, and lifestyle modifications, including counseling and family therapy, are critical for its management.
By reviewing current research, this study aimed to identify the features of effective intervention using a socio-ecological model to improve physical activity (PA) and reduce sedentary behavior (SB) in young children. The databases used for the study were PubMed and Medline, and the effectiveness of the study was assessed based on the levels of PA and SB determinants in the socio-ecological model (i.e., individual, family, social, and environmental factors). Among the studies conducted on children aged six or younger, and published within the last decade, 67 met our criteria. Some individual (gender, body mass index [BMI], age), family and home (parental role modeling, parents' BMI, parents' education), social (socioeconomic status), and built environment (rural/urban, weekday/weekend) variables were found to have an impact on both PA and SB. Results call for further research in non-Western countries as well as for improvement of PA and reduction of SB in young children. Furthermore, additional studies are needed to examine effective, socio-ecological model-based interventions for PA and SB in young children.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.