Proportion of kindergarten children meeting the WHO guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep and associations with adiposity in urban Beijing

Abstract

Background: World Health Organisation (WHO) Guidelines on Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Sleep for Children under 5 Years of Age were released in 2019. The aim of this study was to examine the proportion of Chinese kindergarten children who met each individual guideline and each combination of the guidelines and the associations with adiposity. Methods: Participants were 254 kindergarten children aged 4.1-6.3 years recruited from three kindergartens in urban area of Beijing. Physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep duration were assessed using 24-h accelerometry over three consecutive days. Screen time was reported by parents. Weight and height were measured; and children were categorised into normal weight and overweight/obese groups according to the WHO age-and sex-specific criteria. Frequency analyses were performed to examine the proportion of children meeting individual and combination of these guidelines. Logistics regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between guideline compliance and adiposity. Results: The proportion of children who met the physical activity (≥ 3 h daily physical activity, including ≥1 h daily moderate-to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA)), sedentary screen time (< 1 h/day), and sleep guidelines (10-13 h/day) were 65.4, 88.2 and 29.5%, respectively; only 15.0% met all three guidelines and 2.7% did not meet any of the guidelines. Not meeting the physical activity guideline, sleep guideline, or combination of any two guidelines, or all three guidelines was not associated with overweight or obesity; however, children who did not meet the sedentary screen time guidelines were at higher risk for overweight and obesity (odds ratio = 3.76, 95% CI: 1.50-9.45). Conclusions: In our study, only a small proportion of children met all three guidelines. Most Chinese kindergarten children met physical activity guidelines or screen time guidelines, whereas fewer children met sleep guideline. Not meeting sedentary screen time guidelines was associated with adiposity, which warrant further interventions for limiting screen time in young children.

Movement in High School: Proportion of Chinese Adolescents Meeting 24-Hour Movement Guidelines

“…Pediatric obesity is often cited as a major and pressing health concern [1,2] that can lead to numerous physiological (e.g., high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes) and psychological (e.g., depression, poor quality of life, low self-esteem) issues throughout the lifespan [3][4][5]. Consistent with international trends [1], national data has demonstrated that China has experienced an alarming increase in pediatric obesity in the past 20 years, as well as associated physiological conditions (i.e., hypertension, diabetes) [6,7]. According to Wang and colleagues [6], this steady increase in obesity in China has coincided with the country's rapid economic growth, and may be a result of multiple lifestyle factors, including unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity (PA), and increased sedentary behavior.…”

“…Given issues concerning pediatric obesity in China [6,7], research examining adherence to the 24-h movement guidelines may be timely. However, few studies have examined adherence to 24-h movement guidelines in China [7,13,20].…”

“…Given issues concerning pediatric obesity in China [6,7], research examining adherence to the 24-h movement guidelines may be timely. However, few studies have examined adherence to 24-h movement guidelines in China [7,13,20]. For example, Guan and colleagues [7] examined the proportion of children (aged 4.1 to 6.3 years) from three kindergartens in Beijing meeting movement guidelines suggested by the World Health Organization, and reported that just 15.0% met all three guidelines, and 2.7% did not meet any guidelines.…”

“…However, few studies have examined adherence to 24-h movement guidelines in China [7,13,20]. For example, Guan and colleagues [7] examined the proportion of children (aged 4.1 to 6.3 years) from three kindergartens in Beijing meeting movement guidelines suggested by the World Health Organization, and reported that just 15.0% met all three guidelines, and 2.7% did not meet any guidelines. The current research in this area of inquiry in China has focused on pre-school [7] or elementary-aged children [13,21], and no studies, to the knowledge of the authors, have examined proportions of adolescents meeting these health-related guidelines in China.…”

“…For example, Guan and colleagues [7] examined the proportion of children (aged 4.1 to 6.3 years) from three kindergartens in Beijing meeting movement guidelines suggested by the World Health Organization, and reported that just 15.0% met all three guidelines, and 2.7% did not meet any guidelines. The current research in this area of inquiry in China has focused on pre-school [7] or elementary-aged children [13,21], and no studies, to the knowledge of the authors, have examined proportions of adolescents meeting these health-related guidelines in China. Adolescence may be a particularly important age to examine, given that health-related behaviors become more volitional and less dictated by parents as children grow older [11,22] and the risk for pediatric obesity rises with age [1,23].…”