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Recent Temporal Trends in Parent-Reported Physical Activity in Children in the United States, 2009 to 2014
Paul D Loprinzi1, Robert E Davis2
1Center for Health Behavior Research, Department of Health, Exercise Science, and Recreation Management, University of Mississippi, University; Jackson Heart Study Vanguard Center of Oxford, University of Mississippi, Oxford.
Insights
Parents report children
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Public Health
- Childhood Obesity
Background:
- Physical activity is crucial for children's health and development.
- Understanding trends in childhood physical activity is essential for public health interventions.
- Previous research indicates varying physical activity levels in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze recent temporal trends in parent-reported physical activity among children aged 6-11 years.
- To examine physical activity patterns between 2009 and 2014 using national survey data.
- To identify demographic subgroups with distinct physical activity trends.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2009-2014.
- Included an analytic sample of 3946 children (6-11 years).
- Assessed parent proxy reports of child physical activity (minutes/day) across three 2-year cycles.
Main Results:
- A quadratic trend was observed, with physical activity increasing from 2009-2010 to 2011-2012, then decreasing by 2013-2014.
- This trend was similar for boys, those above the poverty level, non-Hispanic whites, and children with lower BMI-for-age percentiles.
- A negative linear trend in physical activity was noted for those above the poverty level and non-Hispanic whites (especially girls).
Conclusions:
- Parent-reported physical activity in children aged 6-11 years showed a slight decrease in recent years (2013-2014) compared to earlier periods (2009-2012).
- This decrease was most pronounced in specific subgroups: boys, children above the poverty level, non-Hispanic whites, and those with lower BMI-for-age percentiles.
- Despite the trend, a majority of children (55%-82%) met the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity, according to parental reports.
Abstract:
The objective of this study was to provide recent temporal trends in parent-reported physical activity in children (6-11 years) between 2009 and 2014. Data from the 2009 to 2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used. The analytic sample included 3946 children. Parent proxy of child physical activity at each of the 3 2-year cycles was assessed. For the entire sample, there was a quadratic trend, with the number of days children engaged in at least 60 min/d of physical activity increasing in the period 2011 to 2012 (6.12 days) when compared with the period 2009 to 2010 (5.96 days) and then decreasing in the period 2013 to 2014 (5.83 days). A similar quadratic trend was evident for boys, those above the poverty level, non-Hispanic whites (particularly boys), and those with less than the 85th body mass index-for-age percentile based on sex. A negative linear trend was observed for those above the poverty level and non-Hispanic whites (particularly girls). In conclusion, these findings provide suggestive evidence that over the past 6 years (1999-2014), parents report that children's physical activity has slightly decreased in the latest years, with this observation being most pronounced in boys, those above the poverty level, non-Hispanic whites, and those with less than the 85th body mass index-for-age and sex percentile. Encouragingly, however, across all evaluated subpopulations, most children (55%-82%), as determined by their parents, engaged in 60 min/d of physical activity (consistent with government recommendations).
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