International Journal of Public Health (Jul 2023)

Health-Related Quality of Life and Adherence to Physical Activity and Screen Time Recommendations in Schoolchildren: Longitudinal Cohort Ciao Corona

  • Sarah R. Haile,
  • Samuel Gunz,
  • Gabriela P. Peralta,
  • Gabriela P. Peralta,
  • Gabriela P. Peralta,
  • Gabriela P. Peralta,
  • Agnė Ulytė,
  • Alessia Raineri,
  • Sonja Rueegg,
  • Viktoriia Yasenok,
  • Thomas Radtke,
  • Milo A. Puhan,
  • Susi Kriemler

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/ijph.2023.1606033
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 68

Abstract

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Objectives: We investigated changes in adherence to physical activity (PA) and screen time (ST) recommendations of children and adolescents throughout the pandemic, and their association with health-related quality of life (HRQOL).Methods: 1,769 primary (PS, grades 1–6) and secondary (SS, 7–9) school children from Ciao Corona, a school-based cohort study in Zurich, Switzerland, with five questionnaires 2020–2022. HRQOL was assessed using the KINDL questionnaire. PA (≥60 min/day moderate-to-vigorous PA) and ST (≤2 h/day ST) recommendations followed WHO guidelines.Results: Adherence to PA recommendations dropped in 2020 (83%–59% PS, 77%–52% SS), but returned to pre-pandemic levels by 2022 (79%, 66%). Fewer children met ST recommendations in 2020 (74% PS, 29% SS) and 2021 (82%, 37%) than pre-pandemic (95%, 68%). HRQOL decreased 3 points between 2020 and 2022, and was 9.7 points higher (95% CI 3.0–16.3) in March 2021 in children who met both versus no recommendations.Conclusion: Adherence to WHO guidelines on PA and ST during the pandemic had a consistent association with HRQOL despite longitudinal changes in behavior.

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