Move More, Sit Less and Sleep Well: An analysis of WHO movement guidelines for children under 5 years of age

Abstract

Insufficient physical activity (PA), prolonged sedentary behavior (SB) and inadequate sleep (SLP) are detrimental factors to population health. To address health issues caused by insufficient PA, excessive SB and poor SLP, the World Health Organization (WHO) updated PA and SB guidelines for all populations aged from 5 years to 65 years and older in 2020. For children under 5 years old, the WHO issued the first global guidelines for PA, SB and SLP (collectively refer to movement behaviors) in April 2019. The guidelines applied a holistic approach to promote health behaviors, filling the gap of no comprehensive global movement guidelines for young children. Although the guidelines for young children offer guidance for health promotion, some research and practice implications and other issues should be mentioned. This commentary includes considerations for the importance of the WHO guidelines for younger children, critical analysis of evidence for developing the guidelines, and recommendations for future research and practice. The aim of this paper is to further advance health research in younger populations.

Keywords

• Movement behavior
• WHO guidelines
• Health promotion
• Surveillance and monitoring
• Policy and practice