Abstract
BackgroundPreschool children can spend up to 12 h a day in sedentary time and few meet current recommendations for screen time. Little is known about ecological correlates that could be targeted to decrease specific versus total sedentary behaviour. This study examined whether the correlates of screen time and sedentary time differ in preschool boys and girls.MethodsParents participating in the HAPPY Study in 2008/09 in Melbourne, Australia reported their child’s usual screen time and potential individual, social and physical environment correlates. Children wore ActiGraph GT1M accelerometers for eight days to objectively assess sedentary time (<100 counts.min−1). Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed, stratified by sex and controlling for child age, preschool/childcare attendance and clustering by centre of recruitment. Correlates significantly associated with screen time or sedentary time in individual models (p < 0.05) were included in final combined models.ResultsChildren were sedentary for 301.1 (SD 34.1) minutes/day and spent 108.5 (SD 69.6) minutes/day in screen time. There were no sex differences in screen or sedentary time. In the final models, sleep duration was inversely associated with girls’ sedentary time and boys’ screen time. The only other consistent correlates for boys and girls were parental self-efficacy to limit screen time and screen time rules, which were inversely associated with screen time for both sexes. Parents reporting that they get bored watching their child play was inversely associated and maternal television viewing was positively associated with boys’ screen time. Paternal age was positively associated with boys’ sedentary time. Maternal ethnicity was inversely associated and paternal education, child preferences for sedentary behaviour, and parental concerns about child’s physical activity and sedentary behaviour were positively associated with girls’ screen time.ConclusionsThe modifiable correlates of total sedentary and screen time identified in this study could be targeted in interventions to reduce these behaviours. With correlates differing for screen and sedentary time, and between boys and girls, interventions may also benefit from including behaviour- and sex-specific strategies.
Highlights
Preschool children can spend up to 12 h a day in sedentary time and few meet current recommendations for screen time
A more recent review examining correlates of energy balance-related behaviours in preschool children found that parental body mass index (BMI), family size, higher energy intake, consumption of high energy drinks, consumption of savoury snacks, parental television viewing time, the presence of a television in the bedroom, having a cable subscription and the day of the week were positively associated with screen time, while fruit consumption and living in an urban region were inversely associated with screen time, with no differences in correlates between sexes reported [14]
Accelerometry data showed that boys were sedentary for a mean (SD) of 303.0 (34.6) minutes per day while girls spent a mean (SD) of 298.8 (33.4) minutes per day sedentary (p > 0.05)
Summary
Preschool children can spend up to 12 h a day in sedentary time and few meet current recommendations for screen time. This study examined whether the correlates of screen time and sedentary time differ in preschool boys and girls. A recent systematic review found that preschool children (roughly 3 to 5 years) spend up to 12 h per day in total (objectively measured) sedentary time [7]. A more recent review examining correlates of energy balance-related behaviours in preschool children found that parental body mass index (BMI), family size, higher energy intake, consumption of high energy drinks, consumption of savoury snacks, parental television viewing time, the presence of a television in the bedroom, having a cable subscription and the day of the week (weekdays) were positively associated with screen time, while fruit consumption and living in an urban region were inversely associated with screen time, with no differences in correlates between sexes reported [14]. Television/video games and physical activity equipment in the home were shown to be positively associated with sedentary time for boys, while child BMI z-scores and parent-reported athletic coordination were significantly associated with sedentary time for girls [15]
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