Physical Activity, Screen Time, and Sleep Duration of Children Aged 6-9 Years in 25 Countries: An Analysis within the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) 2015-2017

Whiting S, Buoncristiano M, Gelius P, Abu-Omar K, Pattison M, Hyska J, Duleva V, Music Milanovic S, Zamrazilova H, Hejgaard T, Rasmussen M, Nurk E, Shengelia L, Kelleher CC, Heinen MM, Spinelli A, Nardone P, Abildina A, Abdrakhmanova S, Aitmurzaeva G, Usuopva Z, Pudule I, Petrauskiene A, Sant'Angelo VF, Kujundzic E, Popovic S, Fismen AS, Bergh IH, Fijalkowska A, Rito AI, Cucu A, Brinduse LA, Peterkova V, Gualtieri A, Garcia-Solano M, Gutierrez-Gonzalez E, Abdurrahmonova Z, Boymatova K, Yardim N, Tanrygulyyeva M, Weghuber D, Schindler K, Stojisavljevic D, Filipovic Hadziomeragic A, Markidou Ionnaidu E, Ahrens W, Hassapidou M, Kovacs VA, Ostojic SM, Ticha L, Starc G, Russell Jonsson K, Spiroski I, Rutter H, Mendes R, Williams J, Rakovac I, Breda J (2020)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2020

Journal

DOI: 10.1159/000511263

Abstract

Background: Children are becoming less physically active as opportunities for safe active play, recreational activities, and active transport decrease. At the same time, sedentary screen-based activities both during school and leisure time are increasing. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate physical activity (PA), screen time, and sleep duration of girls and boys aged 6-9 years in Europe using data from the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI). Method: The fourth COSI data collection round was conducted in 2015-2017, using a standardized protocol that included a family form completed by parents with specific questions about their children's PA, screen time, and sleep duration. Results: Nationally representative data from 25 countries was included and information on the PA behaviour, screen time, and sleep duration of 150,651 children was analysed. Pooled analysis showed that: 79.4% were actively playing for >1 h each day, 53.9% were not members of a sport or dancing club, 50.0% walked or cycled to school each day, 60.2% engaged in screen time for <2 h/day, and 84.9% slept for 9-11 h/night. Country-specific analyses of these behaviours showed pronounced differences, with national prevalences in the range of 61.7-98.3% actively playing for >1 h/day, 8.2-85.6% were not members of a sport or dancing club, 17.7-94.0% walked or cycled to school each day, 32.3-80.0% engaged in screen time for <2 h/day, and 50.0-95.8% slept for 9-11 h/night. Conclusions: The prevalence of engagement in PA and the achievement of healthy screen time and sleep duration are heterogenous across the region. Policymakers and other stakeholders, including school administrators and parents, should increase opportunities for young people to participate in daily PA as well as explore solutions to address excessive screen time and short sleep duration to improve the overall physical and mental health and well-being of children.

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

Ministry of Health, State of Israel Israel (IL) Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Republic of Tajikistan Tajikistan (TJ) University of Banja Luka Bosnia And Herzegovina (BA) WHO European Office for the Prevention and Control of NCDs (NCD Office) Russian Federation (RU) University College Dublin (UCD) Ireland (IE) Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan (KG) Ministry for Health Malta (MT) Comenius University Bratislava Slovakia (SK) National Institute for Health Development (NIHD) Estonia (EE) Endocrinology Research Centre Russian Federation (RU) National Center for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC) / დაავადებათა კონტროლისა და საზოგადოებრივი ჯანმრთელობის ეროვნული ცენტრი Georgia (GE) Institute of Mother and Child / Instytut Matki I Dziecka Poland (PL) The Public Health Agency of Sweden Sweden (SE) Hungarian School Sport Federation Hungary (HU) University of Novi Sad Serbia (RS) University of Bath United Kingdom (GB) Leibniz-Institut für Präventionsforschung und Epidemiologie - BIPS GmbH Germany (DE) Institute for Public Health of the Republic of North Macedonia Republic of North Macedonia (MK) International Hellenic University / Διεθνές Πανεπιστήμιο της Ελλάδος Greece (GR) University of Ljubljana (UL) / Univerza v Ljubljani Slovenia (SI) Ministry of Health Turkey (TR) Institute for Public Health of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia And Herzegovina (BA) Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) / Folkehelseinstituttet Norway (NO) Danish Health Authority / Sundhedsstyrelsen Denmark (DK) Ministry of Health / Veselības ministrija Latvia (LV) University of Southern Denmark / Syddansk Universitet Denmark (DK) Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy / Universitatea de Medicină și Farmacie „Carol Davila” (UMF București) Romania (RO) University of Zagreb / Sveučilište u Zagrebu Croatia (HR) National Health Institute Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA) Portugal (PT) Institute of Endocrinology Czech Republic (CZ) Institute of Public Health (ISHP) / Instituti i Shëndetit Publik Albania (AL) WHO Tajikistan Country Office Tajikistan (TJ) Paracelsus Medizinische Privatuniversität Austria (AT) Turkmen State Medical University / Türkmenistanyň Döwlet lukmançylyk uniwersitety Turkmenistan (TM) Lithuanian University of Health Sciences / Lietuvos sveikatos mokslų universitetas (LSMU) Lithuania (LT) Medizinische Universität Wien Austria (AT) Health Authority San Marino San Marino (SM) National Centre of Public Health and Analysis (NCPHA) Bulgaria (BG) Institute of Public Health of Montenegro Montenegro (ME) University of Montenegro Montenegro (ME) Italian National Health Institute / Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) Italy (IT)

How to cite

APA:

Whiting, S., Buoncristiano, M., Gelius, P., Abu-Omar, K., Pattison, M., Hyska, J.,... Breda, J. (2020). Physical Activity, Screen Time, and Sleep Duration of Children Aged 6-9 Years in 25 Countries: An Analysis within the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) 2015-2017. Obesity facts. https://doi.org/10.1159/000511263

MLA:

Whiting, Stephen, et al. "Physical Activity, Screen Time, and Sleep Duration of Children Aged 6-9 Years in 25 Countries: An Analysis within the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) 2015-2017." Obesity facts (2020).

BibTeX: Download