BackgroundRecent 24-h movement guidelines for the early years established recommendations for physical activity (PA), screen time (ST), and sleep. To date, few studies have focused on compliance with meeting the guidelines and their associations with health outcomes. Thus, we aimed to investigate: 1) compliance with the 24-h movement guidelines, and 2) associations between compliance and anthropometry in Finnish preschoolers.MethodsWe utilized DAGIS survey data that were collected in 2015–2016 (N = 864). PA was assessed 24 h/day over 7 days using a waist-worn ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometer. ST and sleep were reported by the parents during the same 7 days. Anthropometry was assessed using body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) and waist circumference (WC, cm). Children were classified as meeting the guidelines if they averaged ≥180 min/day of PA, which consisted of ≥60 min of moderate-to-vigorous intensity; ≤60 min/day of ST; and 10–13 h/day of sleep. In total, 778 children (51% boys, mean age: 4.7 ± 0.9 years) were included in the study. The compliance with meeting the 24-h movement guidelines was calculated for each behavior separately and in combinations. Adjusted linear regression analyses were applied to examine associations of compliance with BMI and WC.ResultsChildren were physically active on average 390 (±46.2) min/day and spent 86 (±25.5) min/day in moderate-to-vigorous PA. They spent 76 (±37.4) min/day on ST and had on average 10:21 (±0:33) h:min/day of sleep. The compliance rate in meeting all three movement guidelines overall was 24%. The highest compliance rate was found for PA (85%), followed by sleep (76%) and ST (35%). Meeting guidelines separately for PA or sleep, or for both, were associated with lower WC (PA: B = -1.37, p < 0.001; Sleep: B = -0.72, p = 0.009; PA + Sleep: B = -1.03, p < 0.001). In addition, meeting guidelines for sleep or for both PA and sleep were associated with lower BMI (Sleep: B = -0.26, p = 0.027; PA + Sleep: B = -0.30, p = 0.007). There were no significant associations found regarding ST.ConclusionsMeeting recommendations for PA and sleep may have an important role in supporting a healthy weight status in young children. However, there is still a need to improve compliance with the 24-h movement guidelines, especially for ST.

Background Childhood obesity is still a major health problem in many countries, including Sweden. Childhood obesity and obesity-related behaviours in childhood, such as low physical activity and unhealthy eating habits, tend to track into adulthood, which highlights the need for early prevention. Our aims are to evaluate whether a parent-oriented mobile health app (the MINISTOP 2.0 app) integrated into primary child health care can improve diet and physical activity behaviours and reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity in preschool-aged children as well as to evaluate the implementation among child health care nurses and parents. Methods This trial uses a hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation design. Families (n = 500) who attend a routine visit to one of 15–20 primary child health care centres throughout Sweden, when their child is 2.5 years, are offered participation in a randomised controlled trial (effectiveness evaluation). After acceptance, families will be randomised (1:1) to control or intervention groups. The intervention group receives a 6-month parent-oriented smartphone intervention aimed at improving the dietary and activity behaviours of their child (the MINISTOP 2.0 app) and the control group receives routine child health care. Dietary habits, physical activity and screen time (primary outcomes), body weight and height in children, and parental self-efficacy (secondary outcomes) are measured at baseline and at 6 months post randomisation. Implementation outcomes (i.e. perceived acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility) of the intervention will be assessed among primary child health care nurses and parents in the trial through questionnaires and qualitative interviews. Discussion This trial will evaluate whether the MINISTOP 2.0 app can be used in primary child health care to improve diet and physical activity behaviours, and prevent overweight and obesity, in preschool-aged children. If effectiveness is proven, and the MINISTOP 2.0 app is considered acceptable, appropriate and feasible, it can be implemented nationally as part of the preventive strategies to combat childhood obesity provided by routine child health care. Trial registration The trial was registered at the Clinicaltrials.gov register platform (ID NCT04147039) on 31 October 2019.

The International Study of Movement Behaviors in the Early Years (SUNRISE) was initiated in response to the 2019 WHO guidelines for physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep in children aged 0–5 years. This Swedish pilot study aimed to: (i) assess the proportion of preschoolers meeting the guidelines, (ii) evaluate the feasibility of the methods for the SUNRISE study, and (iii) assess how movement behaviors have been affected in preschoolers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Physical activity and sleep (waist-worn ActiGraph); screen time and movement behaviors (parental questionnaire); motor skills (Ages and Stages Questionnaire); and executive functions (3 iPad games) were assessed in 100 Swedish preschoolers (n = 58 boys). There were 19.4% of preschoolers (n = 14) who met the WHO guidelines. The motor skill and executive function assessments were feasible; however, 20% refused to wear the ActiGraph overnight. Additionally, during the pandemic Swedish children’s physical activity, time spent outside on weekdays and weekend days, and screen time significantly increased (+53; +124; +68; +30min/day, respectively, all p-values ≤ 0.001). Methods for the SUNRISE study were feasible in a Swedish context; however, considerations to switch to a wrist-worn accelerometer should be made. Furthermore, children’s physical activity increased during the pandemic, which is likely due to how the rules/restrictions were implemented in Sweden.