Physical activity in pre-school children: Trends over time and associations with body mass index and screen time

Abstract

Background: Pre-school years are important for adopting health behaviours; however, today’s children seem to be overweight, present low physical activity (PA) levels and exceed screen time (ST) recommendations. Aim: To examine (a) time trends in PA in Greek pre-school children, (b) the associations among PA, body mass index (BMI) and ST and (c) potential PA differences between boys and girls. Subjects and methods: Data from five cross-sectional cohorts (2005 [n = 252]; 2008 [n = 212]; 2011 [n = 187]; 2014 [n = 194]; 2017 [n = 128]) were compared. PA was assessed using Omron HJ-720IT-E2 pedometers, whereas ST was reported by participants’ parents. A 4-way ANOVA was applied on children’s average week step counts. Results: A significant association (F = 828.90, p 2 hours/day). Conclusion: Effective interventions aiming at reducing ST and enhancing PA seem imperative if children’s health is to be safeguarded.

Keywords

• health behaviours
• obesity
• pedometers
• sedentary time
• young children