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Levels and Disparities of 24-hour Movement Behaviors of Chinese Children Aged 3-5 Years: A Nationally Representative
Yi Fan Duan1, Ji Zhang2, Lin Xiao Guo3
1National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Key Laboratory of Public Nutrition and Health, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China. Key Laboratory of Human Breast Milk Science, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China.
Insights
Most Chinese preschoolers have low physical activity and high sedentary behavior, with urban-rural disparities. Age impacts movement and sleep, highlighting the need for targeted interventions, especially in rural areas.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Child Development
Background:
- Understanding 24-hour movement behaviors in preschoolers is crucial for long-term health.
- Nationally representative data on physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep in Chinese preschoolers is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe 24-hour movement behaviors (physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep) in Chinese preschoolers.
- To examine disparities in these behaviors by age, gender, and residence.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional analysis of 10,935 Chinese children aged 3-5 years (2019-2021).
- Data collected via validated questionnaires on total physical activity (TPA), total sedentary behavior (TSB), and total sleep period (TSP).
- Physical inactivity defined as < 180 minutes of TPA/day.
Main Results:
- Median TPA: 121.4 min/day; Median TSB: 231.4 min/day; Average TSP: 11.46 hours/day.
- 68.8% of preschoolers were physically inactive.
- Higher physical inactivity in rural (73.3%) vs. urban (64.8%) areas; TPA and TSB increased with age; TSP decreased with age.
Conclusions:
- Chinese preschoolers predominantly exhibit insufficient physical activity and excessive sedentary behavior.
- Significant urban-rural disparities exist, with rural children being more inactive.
- Age-related trends show increasing activity/sedentary time and decreasing sleep, necessitating targeted interventions.
Objective:
This study aimed to describe 24-hour movement behaviors, including physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep period, among Chinese preschoolers using nationally representative data, and examine disparities by age, gender, and residence.
Methods:
A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from the China National Nutrition and Health Systematic Survey for Children (2019-2021), including 10,935 children aged 3-5 years. Daily total time of physical activity (TPA), total time of sedentary behaviors (TSB), and total sleep period (TSP) was collected via validated structured questionnaires. Physical inactivity was defined as < 180 minutes of TPA per day.
Results:
Median TPA was 121.4 ( IQR: 71.4-209.6) minutes/day, and TSB was 231.4 ( IQR: 175.0-304.3) minutes/day, with 11.46 ± 1.00 hours/day average TSP. Overall, 68.8% were physically inactive, with higher prevalence in rural (73.3%) versus urban areas (64.8%, P < 0.001). TPA and TSB increased with age, while TSP decreased (all P < 0.001). No significant gender differences were observed.
Conclusion:
Most Chinese preschoolers exhibit insufficient physical activity and excessive sedentary behaviors, with notable urban-rural disparities and an escalating trend of ageing. Continuous monitoring and targeted interventions, especially in rural areas, are urgently needed.
