scholarly journals Meeting the Physical Activity Recommendations and Its Relationship with Obesity-Related Parameters, Physical Fitness, Screen Time, and Mediterranean Diet in Schoolchildren

Children ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 263
Author(s):  
José Francisco López-Gil ◽  
Javier Brazo-Sayavera ◽  
Wagner de Campos ◽  
Juan Luis Yuste Lucas
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Mediterranean Diet ◽  
Abdominal Obesity ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Fitness Score ◽  
Physical Activity Recommendations ◽  
Activity Recommendations

The up-to-date scientific evidence suggests that adequate levels of physical activity provide essential health benefits for children and adolescents and help to maintain a healthy body weight. In this sense, children and adolescents should at least accumulate 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in a daily basis to achieve these benefits and be considered active. Likewise, some lifestyle-related elements may interact with each other in an antagonistic or synergistic way to modify physical activity status. Thus, a better understanding of how meeting physical activity recommendations influences these potentially modifiable lifestyle factors (obesity-related parameters, physical fitness, dietary habits, or sedentary behaviour) would significantly reinforce the importance of complying with those recommendations from a health perspective and support the establishment of strategies for the promotion of diminishing the lower trends of physical activity among the young population. This study seeks to verify the association of meeting physical activity international recommendations with obesity-related parameters, global physical fitness, screen time, and Mediterranean diet in Spanish schoolchildren aged 8 to 13. A cross-sectional study was performed including 250 schoolchildren (41.2% girls) aged 8–13 (9.7 ± 1.2) from six primary schools in the Region of Murcia (Spain). Results: A higher proportion of children who complying with physical activity recommendations shows normal weight, no abdominal obesity, and low adiposity in comparison to other with different obesity-related parameters categories. Higher values in global physical fitness score were found in those who meet the physical activity international recommendations in both sexes. These higher values were also shown for adherence to the Mediterranean diet in both sexes; not being so in the case of screen time. Notwithstanding, none of these mean differences were statistically significant. To conclude, the proportion of schoolchildren meeting the physical activity recommendations in our study is low. A higher proportion of children who meet with physical activity recommendations present normal weight, no abdominal obesity and low adiposity in comparison to other obesity-related parameters categories in both sexes. Likewise, those considered as active children seem to have higher global physical fitness score and adherence to the Mediterranean diet than children who do not meet the recommendations.

scholarly journals Active breaks during virtual classrooms in schoolchildren in times of COVID-19 pandemic: A strategy to increase physical activity levels

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jairo Azócar-Gallardo ◽  
◽  
Alex Ojeda-Aravena ◽  
◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Sedentary Behavior ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Virtual Classrooms ◽  
Physical Activity Levels ◽  
Physical Activity Recommendations ◽  
Active Breaks ◽  
Activity Recommendations

As a result of the closure of schools to control COVID-19 transmission, the lifestyle of schoolchildren changed, with an increase in excess malnutrition, sedentary behavior, decreased outdoor time and increased screen time. The modification in the execution of classes in their new modalities (on-site or virtual) does not modify the deleterious effects of the sedentary behavior of schoolchildren. Short cumulative active breaks can be an efficient strategy to meet the minimum physical activity recommendations suggested by the WHO for children and adolescents aged 5-17 years.

The Role of School in Helping Children and Adolescents Reach the Physical Activity Recommendations: The UP&DOWN Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 89 (8) ◽  
pp. 612-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Grao‐Cruces ◽  
Victor Segura‐Jiménez ◽  
Julio Conde‐Caveda ◽  
Laura García‐Cervantes ◽  
David Martínez‐Gómez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Physical Activity Recommendations ◽  
Activity Recommendations

Physical Activity During Soccer and Its Contribution to Physical Activity Recommendations in Normal Weight and Overweight Children

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 281-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer M. Sacheck ◽  
Tara Nelson ◽  
Laura Ficker ◽  
Tamar Kafka ◽  
Julia Kuder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Sports Participation ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Physical Activity Intensity ◽  
Sedentary Activity ◽  
Organized Sport ◽  
Obesity Epidemic ◽  
Activity Intensity ◽  
Physical Activity Recommendations ◽  
Activity Recommendations

Amid the childhood obesity epidemic, understanding how organized sports participation contributes to meeting physical activity recommendations in children is important. Anthropometrics were measured in children (n = 111; 68% female, 9.1 ± 0.8yr) before one 50-min soccer match. Time spent at different physical activity intensity levels was examined using Actigraph accelerometers. 49% of the match time was spent in sedentary activity (25.4 ± 5.7 min), while 33% of the match (16.9 ± 4.7 min) was spent in moderate-to-vigorous activity (MVPA; p < .001). 22.5% of the children were overweight/obese and spent more time in sedentary activity (+3.2 ± 1.2 min; p < .05) and less time in MVPA (-3.0 ± 1.0 min; p < .01) compared with the normal weight children. These data demonstrate that playing an organized sport such as soccer only meets a portion (~25%) of the 60 min of MVPA recommended and even less of this recommendation is met by overweight/obese children.

scholarly journals Screen Time and Parents’ Education Level Are Associated with Poor Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Spanish Children and Adolescents: The PASOS Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 795
Author(s):  
Julia Wärnberg ◽  
Napoleón Pérez-Farinós ◽  
Juan Carlos Benavente-Marín ◽  
Santiago Felipe Gómez ◽  
Idoia Labayen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Mediterranean Diet ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Education Levels ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Parents Education

The aim of this study is to evaluate if screen time and parents’ education levels are associated with adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern. This cross-sectional study analyzed a representative sample of 3333 children and adolescents (8 to 16 years) included in the Physical Activity, Sedentarism, lifestyles and Obesity in Spanish youth (PASOS) study in Spain (which ran from March 2019 to February 2020). Data on screen time (television, computer, video games, and mobile phone) per day, Mediterranean diet adherence, daily moderate or vigorous physical activity, and parents’ education levels were gathered using questionnaires. A descriptive study of the variables according to sex and parents’ education level was performed. Logistic regression models (adjusted by sex and weight status) were fitted to evaluate the independent association between screen time and Kids’ level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet (KIDMED) index, as well as some of its items. A greater amount of screen time was associated with worse adherence to the Mediterranean diet; a lower consumption of fruit, vegetables, fish, legumes, and nuts; and a greater consumption of fast food, sweets, and candies. A lower parents’ education level was associated with worse adherence to the Mediterranean diet. It is necessary to promote the responsible, limited use of screen time, especially in children with parents with a lower education level.

scholarly journals Status and contents of physical activity recommendations in European Union countries: a systematic comparative analysis

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. e034045 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Gelius ◽  
Antonina Tcymbal ◽  
Karim Abu-Omar ◽  
Romeu Mendes ◽  
Sara Tribuzi Morais ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Sedentary Behaviour ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
General Tendency ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Physical Activity Recommendations ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Activity Recommendations

ObjectivesWe analysed the information on current national physical activity recommendations in all EU Member States provided by governments in a joint EU/WHO survey on the implementation status of the EU Council Recommendation on Health-Enhancing Physical Activity across Sectors.DesignCross-sectional survey.ParticipantsThe representatives of the 28 EU Member State governments to the EU Physical Activity Focal Point Network.Outcome measuresNational recommendations on: (A) minimum frequency, duration, intensity and lengths of bouts of physical activity, (B) preventing inactivity or sedentary behaviour and (C) further recommendations for additional health benefits, obesity prevention and specific types of activity.ResultsAn official document could be located for 23 of the 28 EU Member States, while four are currently developing recommendations. For children and adolescents, most countries follow the 2010 WHO Global Recommendations for Physical Activity, but there are notable differences in the delimitation of age groups. 14 countries also followed WHO in their recommendations for adults, and 11 countries have additional advice on avoiding inactivity and sitting among adults. 18 Member States have recommendations for older adults, 12 of which follow WHO. Thirteen countries also address at least one special population (eg, pregnant women, people with disabilities and people with chronic diseases), but the level of detail varies substantially between countries.ConclusionsThe large majority of EU Member States either has physical activity recommendations in place or is in the process of developing them. There is a general tendency to use the WHO Global Recommendations as a basis, with the greatest variation observable for children and adolescents. Comparing results with a previous round of data collection shows that the number of EU countries with physical activity recommendations is increasing and that both special groups and sedentary behaviour have become more important in recent years.

scholarly journals Organized Sports and Physical Activities as Sole Influencers of Fitness: The Homeschool Population

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Kabiri ◽  
Augusto Rodriguez ◽  
Amanda Perkins-Ball ◽  
Cassandra Diep
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Cardiorespiratory Fitness ◽  
Aerobic Capacity ◽  
Physical Activities ◽  
Current Investigation ◽  
Organized Sports ◽  
Physical Activity Recommendations ◽  
Upper Abdominal ◽  
Activity Recommendations

Homeschool children may rely solely on organized sports and physical activities to achieve recommended levels of physical activity and fitness. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in fitness levels between homeschool children who did, and did not, participate in organized sports or physical activities, and then examine relationships between hours per week in sports or physical activities and cardiorespiratory fitness as measured by portions of the FitnessGram® test battery. Organized sports/physical activity participation information was gathered on 100 children ages 10–17 years who completed tests of upper, abdominal, and cardiorespiratory fitness. The current investigation revealed that participation alone was not associated with higher levels of physical fitness as assessed by the 90° push-up test or curl-up test nor was time in participation related to cardiorespiratory fitness as assessed by the Progressive Aerobic Capacity Endurance Run (PACER). These activities alone may be insufficient for meeting physical activity recommendations and improving physical fitness. Therefore, children and adolescents educated at home may need additional opportunities to participate in unstructured daily physical activity.

Is adherence to the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Behaviour Guidelines for Children and Youth associated with improved indicators of physical, mental, and social health?

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (7) ◽  
pp. 725-731 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Janssen ◽  
Karen C. Roberts ◽  
Wendy Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
Social Health ◽  
Movement Behaviour ◽  
Physical Activity Recommendations ◽  
Activity Recommendations

The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth were released in 2016. These guidelines contained recommendations for moderate to vigorous physical activity, screen time, and sleep duration. The objectives of this study were to determine (i) if achieving the individual recommendations and combinations of the recommendations within the guidelines is associated with indicators of physical, mental, and social health within children and youth; (ii) if meeting the recommendation for a specific movement behaviour is associated with larger differences in physical, mental, and social health indicators compared with meeting the recommendations for the other specific movement behaviours; and (iii) if physical, mental, and social health indicators differ according to different combinations of the guideline recommendations achieved. To address these objectives, we studied a representative sample of over 17 000 Canadians aged 10–17 years. The findings indicated that participants achieving any given recommendation had preferable scores for the health outcomes compared with participants who did not meet the recommendations. There was a dose–response pattern between the number of recommendations achieved and the health outcomes, indicating that the health outcomes improved as more recommendations were achieved. When the number of recommendations achieved was the same, there were no differences in the health outcomes. For instance, health indicators scores were not different in the group who achieved the sleep and screen time recommendations, the group who achieved sleep and moderate to vigorous physical activity recommendations, and the group who achieved screen time and moderate to vigorous physical activity recommendations.

Barriers and Facilitators to meeting recommended physical activity levels among new immigrant and refugee children in Saskatchewan, Canada

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ginny Lane ◽  
Christine Nisbet ◽  
Shanthi Johnson ◽  
Philip D Chilibeck ◽  
Hassan Vatanparast
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
Refugee Children ◽  
Recreational Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Activity Recommendations ◽  
Activity Recommendations ◽  
Parents Education

Newcomers are often healthy when they arrive in Canada, yet experience health declines shortly thereafter, possibly due to lifestyle changes. As part of the Healthy Immigrant Children study, this mixed-methods study aims to analyze possible predictors of physical activity among 300 newcomer children, and explore their lived experiences using a sub-sample of 19 parents and 24 service providers. Data collection involved questionnaires concerning socio-economic status and physical activity, anthropometric measurements, and in-depth interviews. Participants aged 5 years and older largely met physical activity recommendations (82.9%), while none of the 3-4 year olds did. Males were more active than females, especially among older ages. Many participants engaged in too much screen time (53.4-90.0%). Age and income predicted physical activity among males, while parents’ education level was the only significant predictor among females. Barriers to physical activity included: recreational physical activity being an unfamiliar concept, gender limitations, financial resources, safety concerns, and children’s preference for screen time. Schools played a central role in newcomer children’s health by providing accessible opportunities for physical activity. Newcomer families preferred to have their children involved in culturally relevant physical activities. Given the growing newcomer population, it is important to support active lifestyle practices among them. Novelty bullets: • About 83% of newcomer children aged 5 years and older met physical activity recommendations, while none of the 3-4 years old did. • Age and income predicted males’ physical activity, while parents’ education level predicted females’. • Schools provide accessible opportunities for newcomer children to engage in physical activity.

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