Profiling physical activity, diet, screen and sleep habits in Portuguese children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Behavioral Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a global concern, significantly influenced by lifestyle factors like sedentary behavior and poor nutrition.
• Understanding these behaviors in specific populations is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To profile lifestyle behaviors in Portuguese children aged 9.5-10.5 years.
• To identify distinct classes of behavior patterns.
• To analyze the influence of individual and socio-demographic factors on class membership.

Main Methods:

• Utilized accelerometry for objective physical activity and sleep time assessment.
• Collected data on nutritional habits, screen time, and socio-demographics.
• Employed Latent Class Analysis to identify lifestyle behavior patterns and logistic regression to predict class membership.

Main Results:

• A high prevalence (78%) of children exhibited three or more unhealthy lifestyle behaviors.
• Two distinct classes emerged: Class 1 (Sedentary, poorer diet) comprising 35% and Class 2 (Insufficiently active, better diet) comprising 65%.
• Older age and male gender were associated with higher overweight/obesity risk, while Class 2 membership showed a protective effect.

Conclusions:

• The majority of Portuguese children display multiple unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, contributing to obesity.
• Lifestyle behavior patterns, particularly diet quality, play a significant role in weight status.
• Interventions should focus on promoting healthier lifestyles, considering age and gender differences.