Screen Time, Physical Activity, and Overweight in U.S. Youth: National Survey of Children's Health 2003

Physical activity participation in children declines with age. It is not clear yet whether the age-related trends vary by weight status. This study is aimed at investigating the association between physical activity participation and age among children with healthy weight, overweight, or obesity, using data from the 2016-2017 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). Physical activity participation was evaluated by days participated in physical activity for at least 60 minutes out of 7 days. Weight status was categorized from body mass index (BMI) percentiles. Data were analyzed on 33,056 US children age 10-17 years. The percentages of been active 0 day out of 7 days in BMI5th<85th (healthy weight), 85th<95th (overweight), and ≥95th percentile (obese) groups were 8.9%, 11.5%, and 18.2%, respectively. Among all groups, been active 0 day out of 7 days was positively associated with age, while the strongest associations were observed in the BMI85th<95th group (age 17 years vs. age 10 years: OR=7.48, p<0.0001). Older age was significantly associated with been active less than 4 days out of 7 days in the BMI5th<85th and 85th<95th groups, but those associations were attenuated in the BMI≥95th group. This study found that physical activity participation was inversely associated with age among children with healthy weight, overweight, or obese, and the association was strongest among children with overweight and weakest among children with obesity. Interventions aimed at promoting physical activity among children should take these patterns of association into account.

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Young Children’s Screen Time and Physical Activity: Perspectives of Parents and Early Care and Education Center Providers

Global Pediatric Health ◽

10.1177/2333794x19865856 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. 2333794X1986585 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Elizabeth D. Joseph ◽

Chelsea L. Kracht ◽

Jessica St. Romain ◽

Andrew T. Allen ◽

Caroline Barbaree ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Focus Groups ◽

Thematic Analysis ◽

Screen Time ◽

Environmental Influences ◽

Early Care And Education ◽

Barriers And Facilitators ◽

Children's Health ◽

Children’S Health ◽

Early Care

Early care and education (ECE) providers and parents can facilitate physical activity (PA) and reduce screen time in preschoolers. Input from caregivers on barriers and facilitators of PA and screen time is needed to comprehensively address these behaviors and promote children’s health. Four focus groups (3 parent and 1 ECE provider) were conducted. Thematic analysis was performed to identify themes and subthemes. Twenty-eight caregivers (21 parents and 7 ECE providers) participated. Caregivers reported responsibility for modeling and shaping children’s PA and screen time. Parents felt that a busy lifestyle was a PA barrier and encouraged screen time. ECE providers were concerned about certain environmental influences on PA. The groups differed in their view of screen time as either entertainment (parents) or educational (providers). Both types of caregivers were unaware of PA or screen time guidelines. Investigation into opportunities to utilize screen time to serve priorities of both caregivers and promote child PA are needed.

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Associations Between Physical Activity and Overweight Among U.S. Youth by Immigrant Generation: Results From the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health

Journal of Physical Activity and Health ◽

10.1123/jpah.9.6.840 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 840-848 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Sharon E. Taverno Ross ◽

Lori A. Francis ◽

Rhonda Z. BeLue ◽

Edna A. Viruell-Fuentes

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

National Survey ◽

Weight Status ◽

First Generation ◽

Sports Participation ◽

Children's Health ◽

Children’S Health ◽

Chi Square ◽

Immigrant Generation ◽

Mean Differences

Background:This study examines relations between parent and youth physical activity (PA; days per week), sports participation, and overweight (BMI ≥ 85th percentile) among U.S. youth, and whether this relationship varies by immigrant generation and sex.Methods:Participants included 28,691 youth ages 10–17 years from the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health. Youth were grouped into first, second, and third or higher generation. Primary analyses include Chi-square and post hoc tests to assess mean differences, and adjusted logistic regressions to test associations between weight status and independent variables.Results:Each additional day youth participated in PA decreased their odds of overweight (OW) by 10% [OR: 0.90 (0.87–0.94)]; participation in sports significantly reduced their odds of OW by 17% [OR: 0.83 (0.71–0.98)]. First generation boys who participated in sports had 70% lower odds of OW [OR: 0.30 (0.11–0.83)] compared with first generation boys who did not participate in sports. For third generation girls, participation in sports reduced the odds of OW by 23% [OR: 0.77 (0.62–0.96)] compared with those who did not participate in sports.Conclusion:The protective influence of PA on youth’s risk of OW varies by immigrant generation and sex. Parent PA was not related to youth’s risk of OW.

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