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Movement Behaviour and Health Outcomes in Rural Children: A Systematic Review
Douglas Vieira1, Elenir Campelo Gomes2, Ângelo Solano Negrão3
1Post-Graduation Program of Physical Education, Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão 49100-000, Brazil.
Insights
Limited studies on rural children
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Movement Behaviors
- Public Health
Background:
- Limited research exists on movement behaviors in rural children, with inconsistent findings.
- Understanding physical activity and sedentary behavior is crucial for child health.
- Sociodemographic factors influence movement behaviors and health outcomes in children.
Approach:
- Systematic review of 68 studies published until October 2021.
- Searched multiple databases including PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus.
- Included studies with diverse sample sizes and geographical distributions.
Key Points:
- Cross-sectional designs were prevalent, with most studies using device-based measurements.
- Significant inequalities in physical activity were observed across sex, age, economic status, and race.
- Rural and urban children exhibited varied sociodemographic characteristics linked to health outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Further research is needed in South America and Oceania to understand children's movement behaviors.
- More evidence is required on the role of schools in promoting physical activity in rural settings.
- Addressing inconsistencies in findings is essential for effective public health interventions.
Background:
Studies with rural children are limited, and results are divergent regarding the information on movement behaviours.
Purpose:
to (i) describe the physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children; (ii) synthetize the year and place of publication, methodological quality, and instruments used to measure physical activity and sedentary behaviour; and (iii) to analyse the relationship between physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and health outcomes in these children.
Methods:
We use the databases PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, Virtual Health Library, and SciELO, considering papers published until October 2021. A total of 12,196 studies were identified, and after the exclusion of duplicate, title and abstract screening, and the full-text assessment, a total of 68 were included in the study.
Results:
A cross-sectional design was dominant among the studies, with sample sizes ranging from 23 to 44,631 children of both sexes. One-third of the studies were conducted in North America and Europe, and most of them used device-based measurements. Inequalities were observed regarding sex, age, economic level, race, and physical activity domains within and between the places of residence. Sociodemographic characteristics were also related to health outcomes for children living in rural and urban areas.
Conclusion:
It is necessary to increase the evidence on movement behaviours among children living in the countries of South America and Oceania, as well as to increase the level of evidence on the role of school for physical activity in children in rural areas, given the inconsistent findings.
