Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, Sleep and Screen Time of Healthy Under-Fives

Adequate Physical Activity, less Sedentary Behavior, optimum Sleep, and less Screen Time are crucial for children, especially for those under five. 

 A cross-sectional study including 480 healthy children (6 mo - 4 years) estimated the proportion of healthy under-fives whose physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep, and screen time adhered to WHO 2019 recommendations and identified risk factors for non-adherence. 

It found-

 63.3%, 22.7%, 82.2%, and 22.7% of under-five children adhered to the physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep, and screen time recommendations, respectively. 

Female gender, nuclear family, maternal education below college level, unskilled maternal occupation/housewife, unskilled paternal occupation and low monthly income contributes to the inadequate physical activity.

 While living in a joint family, paternal education college level/above, unskilled maternal occupation/housewife, unskilled paternal occupation, and low monthly income risk non-adherence to recommended sedentary behavior duration.

The study finds the risk factors for physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep and screen time in children and recommends that under-fives should reduce sedentary behaviors and screen time and spend more time on physical activities to keep up good health.

 TP Sreelakshmi, Sreenivasan P, Krishnan A. Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, Sleep and Screen Time of Healthy Under-Fives Attending Selected Immunization Clinics and Anganwadis of South Kerala, India. Indian Pediatrics. 2024;61