Abstract
Physical activity, screen viewing, sleep, and homework among children have been independently linked to health outcomes. However, few studies have assessed the independent associations between time spent in daily activities and children’s physical and mental health. This study describes time spent in four activities among primary school students in Shanghai, and examines the relationship between daily time-use patterns and obesity and mental health. The representative sample consists of 17,318 children aged 6–11 years in Shanghai. Time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activities (MVPA), screen viewing, sleep, and homework was measured by validated questionnaires. Logistic regressions were performed. We also fitted generalized additive models (GAM) and performed two-objective optimization to minimize the probability of poor mental health and obesity. In 2014, 33.7% of children spent ˂1 hour/day on MVPA, 15.6% spent ≥ 2 hours/day on screen viewing, 12.4% spent ˂ 9 hours/day on sleep, and 27.2% spent ≥ 2 hours/day on homework. The optimization results suggest that considering the 24-hour time limit, children face trade-offs when allocating time. A priority should be given to the duration of sleep and MVPA. Screen exposure should be minimized to save more time for sleep and other beneficial activities.
Highlights
A burgeoning literature has linked moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) to improved health outcomes in children and adolescents[1,2,3]
The World Health Organization recommends at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activities (MVPA) daily for children aged 5–17 years[17], the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends less than 2 hours of screen viewing for children and adolescents[18], the United States (US) National Sleep Foundation recommends a 9–11 hour sleep duration for school-aged children[19], and the US National Education Association recommends 10 to 50 minutes of homework per day for students in grades 1 through 520
Using a population-based survey conducted among primary school students in Shanghai, this study aims to (1) assess the distribution of children’s daily time spent in MVPA, screen viewing, homework, and sleep; (2) evaluate the combined associations between daily time use in several activities and obesity and poor mental health, two most pressing public health issues affecting child development in Chinese children
Summary
A burgeoning literature has linked moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) to improved health outcomes in children and adolescents[1,2,3]. Sedentary behaviors such as television viewing, video-game playing, computer use, and in some cases, excessive time spent on homework have been shown to be related to adverse health outcomes[9,10,11], potentially offsetting the beneficial effects of MVPA on health[12]. Using a population-based survey conducted among primary school students in Shanghai, this study aims to (1) assess the distribution of children’s daily time spent in MVPA, screen viewing, homework, and sleep; (2) evaluate the combined associations between daily time use in several activities and obesity and poor mental health, two most pressing public health issues affecting child development in Chinese children
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