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Sedentary activity bout length was associated with BMI and waist circumference in Swedish children aged 5–7 years
Author(s) -
Norman Åsa,
Nyberg Gisela
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/apa.15866
Subject(s) - waist , medicine , anthropometry , screen time , physical activity , body mass index , sedentary behavior , demography , circumference , sedentary lifestyle , obesity , cross sectional study , physical therapy , gerontology , geometry , mathematics , pathology , sociology
Aim This study examined the pattern of sedentary behaviour during the week and on weekends and associations with health outcomes among children aged 5–7 years in Sweden. Methods This cross‐sectional study used data from 342 children, many of whom had at least one parent born outside the Nordic region. Physical activity and sedentary time were measured by accelerometry. A sedentary bout was defined as 1–4 and 5–9 min. Diet, time in front of television or computer screen, sleep and physical activity behaviour were measured via parental reports, and anthropometric data by research staff. Results The number of sedentary bouts was higher on weekends than on weekdays. Compared to girls, boys had more 1–4 min bouts on both weekdays and weekend days, and more 5–9 min bouts on weekends. A higher number of 5–9 min bouts was associated with a higher body mass index and waist circumference. Conclusion This study showed an association between sedentary activity and weight status in children as young as 5–7 years. Reducing time, especially longer bouts, spent in sedentary activities may encourage healthy weight development in children.