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Sedentary Time and Screen-Based Sedentary Behaviors of Children With a Chronic Disease
Rachel G Walker1, Joyce Obeid, Thanh Nguyen
1Dept. of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada.
Insights
Children with chronic diseases spend a lot of time sedentary, similar to healthy peers. This study assessed sedentary time and screen behaviors in pediatric chronic disease patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Chronic Disease Management
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Children with chronic diseases often face unique health challenges.
- Sedentary behaviors, including screen time, are a growing concern in pediatric populations.
- Understanding sedentary patterns in children with chronic conditions is crucial for intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate sedentary time and screen-based behaviors in children with chronic diseases.
- To compare these behaviors between children with chronic diseases and healthy controls.
- To identify potential disparities in sedentary habits among pediatric patients.
Main Methods:
- Objective measurement of sedentary time using accelerometers (ActiGraph GT1M/GT3×) for 7 days.
- Definition of sedentary time as <100 counts per minute.
- Assessment of screen-based sedentary behaviors via questionnaire.
- Comparison with age- and sex-matched healthy controls.
Main Results:
- Children with chronic diseases averaged 10.2 ± 1.4 hours of sedentary time daily (76.5% of monitoring time).
- No significant differences were found in overall sedentary time between children with chronic diseases and controls (p = .06).
- Prevalence of TV watching, computer, and video game usage did not differ significantly between groups.
Conclusions:
- Children with chronic diseases, even when relatively stable, accumulate high levels of sedentary time.
- Sedentary time and screen-based behaviors in this cohort were comparable to healthy peers.
- Further research is needed to address high sedentary levels in all children, including those with chronic conditions.
Abstract:
The objectives of this study were to (i) assess sedentary time and prevalence of screen-based sedentary behaviors of children with a chronic disease and (ii) compare sedentary time and prevalence of screen-based sedentary behaviors to age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Sixty-five children (aged 6-18 years) with a chronic disease participated: survivors of a brain tumor, hemophilia, type 1 diabetes mellitus, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, cystic fibrosis, and Crohn's disease. Twenty-nine of these participants were compared with age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Sedentary time was measured objectively by an ActiGraph GT1M or GT3× accelerometer worn for 7 consecutive days and defined as less than 100 counts per min. A questionnaire was used to assess screen-based sedentary behaviors. Children with a chronic disease engaged in an average of 10.2 ± 1.4 hr of sedentary time per day, which comprised 76.5 ± 7.1% of average daily monitoring time. There were no differences between children with a chronic disease and controls in sedentary time (adjusted for wear time, p = .06) or in the prevalence of TV watching, and computer or video game usage for varying durations (p = .78, p = .39 and, p = .32 respectively). Children with a chronic disease, though relatively healthy, accumulate high levels of sedentary time, similar to those of their healthy peers.
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