Abstract
SummarySedentary behaviour tracks from early to middle childhood, suggesting the need to intervene early. The aim of this systematic review was to identify determinants of change in accelerometer‐assessed sedentary behaviour in young children, with a view to informing interventions. Ten electronic databases were searched. Longitudinal and intervention studies were included if they (a) targeted sedentary behaviour in young children (less than of equal to 6 years), (b) assessed change in accelerometer‐assessed sedentary behaviour, and (c) reported on at least one determinant of change in sedentary behaviour. Intervention components were coded according to clusters of behaviour change technique (BCT) (ie, grouping similar BCTs components). Data synthesis was guided by the socioecological model. Sixteen studies (four longitudinal; 12 intervention) met the inclusion criteria. Two (out of five identified determinants) were associated with an increase in sedentary behaviour in longitudinal studies: the after childcare/school period and transition from childcare to school. Three (out of 21 identified determinants) were associated with a decrease in sedentary behaviour in intervention studies: “goals and planning” (ie, “behavioural contract”), “repetition and substitution” (ie, “graded tasks”), and “reward and treat” (ie, “incentives”). The environmental and interpersonal determinants identified in this review may help to inform behavioural strategies, timing, and settings for future interventions.
Highlights
There is growing evidence that the most efficient and cost‐effective way to prevent health problems is to intervene in early life before behaviour and health patterns have been firmly established.[1]
This study provided a proxy report of sedentary behaviour and accelerometer‐based data
We found evidence, limited,[45] that the outside childcare/school period might be a potential determinant of sedentary behaviour in young children
Summary
There is growing evidence that the most efficient and cost‐effective way to prevent health problems is to intervene in early life before behaviour and health patterns have been firmly established.[1]. Sedentary behaviour, defined as any waking behaviour characterized by an energy expenditure less than or equal to 1.5 metabolic equivalents (METs), while in a sitting, reclining, or lying posture,[3] has been associated with obesity in children and young people.[4,5,6] It is unclear whether this association is causal,[7] and interventions targeting. Wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/obr sedentary behaviour in children and young people (0 to 17 years old) have only shown small and clinically irrelevant effects on BMI reduction.[8] This is a complex field as sedentary behaviour is frequently targeted alongside with other behaviours (eg, diet and physical activity) in a multibehaviour approach to prevent and treat obesity.[7]
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