Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 14, 2026
Physical Activity Measurement in Children Accepting Table Tennis Training
Published on: July 27, 2022
[Reduce sedentary behaviour among children - a systematic review]
Jana Alfes1, Jens Bucksch2, Katja Aue3
1Fakultät für Gesundheitswissenschaften, Universität Bielefeld, Postfach 100131, 33501, Bielefeld, Deutschland.
Insights
Family-based interventions show promise for reducing children's sitting time, particularly for preschoolers. Future research should use varied measurement tools and focus on overall sedentary behavior for better results.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Behavioral Science
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Sedentary behavior is a significant health risk in children and adolescents.
- Family-based interventions are increasingly explored to mitigate health-related behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review family-based interventions aimed at reducing sedentary time in children and adolescents.
- To identify factors that may moderate the effectiveness of these interventions.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of randomized controlled trials involving family-based interventions for sedentary behavior in 3- to 18-year-olds.
- Analysis of intervention effects on screen-based vs. overall sitting time.
- Evaluation of methodological quality and moderating variables.
Main Results:
- 17 out of 29 studies reported significant reductions in sitting time; 11 showed positive trends.
- Interventions were heterogeneous in content, theoretical basis, and methodological quality.
- Positive effects were more pronounced for reducing screen-based sitting, especially TV time, and in preschool-aged children.
Conclusions:
- Family-based interventions offer promising avenues for reducing children's sedentary time.
- Further research is needed to clarify effective intervention mechanisms and ensure replicability.
- Future studies should employ both subjective and objective measures, consider overall sitting time, and utilize theoretical planning.
Background And Objectives:
Sedentary behaviour is itself a health-related behaviour. This systematic review examines whether family-based interventions can reduce sitting time among children and adolescents and which variables moderate potential intervention effects.
Methods:
Using a systematic literature search we identified family-based randomised controlled intervention studies that focus on sedentary behaviour in 3‑ to 18-year-old children and youth. The methodological quality of studies as well as the intervention effects according to different outcomes (screen-based vs. overall sitting) were analysed and evaluated for moderating effects.
Results:
Of 29 studies, 17 reported significant effects and 11 studies showed positive trends for reduced sitting time. The content of interventions, the level of theoretical underpinning as well as the methodological quality of studies were heterogeneous. Most often, screen-based sitting and seldom overall sitting was examined. Concise characteristics of intervention success were not clearly apparent. The proportion of positive intervention effects was higher in reducing sitting in front of TVs compared to other outcomes. An analysis of moderators highlighted that intervention programs among pre-schoolers showed more often positive intervention effects.
Discussion:
There are many promising opportunities to reduce sitting time using family-based approaches. Statements in terms of replication of interventions and explanations of the effective mechanisms within interventions are limited. Therefore, future interventions should use subjective as well as objective evaluation measures and consider overall sitting time. To strengthen the basis of interventional effort in this research field, a theoretical planning approach is recommended.
