Changes in youth's physical activity: influence on screen time and cardiometabolic risk after 2-year follow-up

This study aimed to verify the moderation role of changes in leisure physical activity (PA) practice in the association between screen time (ST) at baseline and cardiometabolic risk score (cMetS) at 2-year follow-up in children and adolescents. Observational longitudinal study included 333 children and adolescents (6-17 years), both sexes (girls n = 141), from public and private schools. Participants were evaluated in 2014 and 2016. The evaluation of leisure PA practice and ST behavior at baseline was applied through a self-reported questionnaire adapted from the validated questionnaire. Delta changes in leisure PA (ΔPA) were considered. The cMetS was obtained by z-score. Association between ST at baseline and cMetS at follow-up was significantly different across different values of ΔPA. From ΔPA ≥ 36.92 min/week, ST at baseline and cMetS at 2-year follow-up exhibited a negative relationship, indicating that even though participants presented higher amounts of ST at baseline, the cardiometabolic profile at follow-up tends to be healthy when there is a change in leisure PA from baseline to follow-up higher than this amount. The increases in leisure PA practice after a 2-year follow-up significantly moderate the negative association of ST with cardiometabolic risk factors by improving metabolic health in children and adolescents.