Objective:
To investigate the different patterns of 24-h movement behaviors, and their associations with sociodemographic factors in a nationally representative sample of Chinese children aged 6-13 years.
Methods:
This study was based on a national multi-centered cluster intervention study involving 31 362 children aged 6-13 years from 7 provinces in China. Questionnaires were used to collect moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), screen time (ST) and sleep duration, as well as sociodemographic variables including age, gender, area of residence, parents’ education level and family income. Generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) analyses were conducted for the 24-hour movement behaviors according to sociodemographic variables.
Results:
The proportions of individuals meeting the MVPA, ST, and sleep guidelines were 32.2%, 78.5%, 30.1%, respectively. The proportion that meet 0, 1, 2 and 3 recommended items was 9.6%, 47.7%, 35.0% and 7.7%, respectively. Age, gender, parents’ education levels and family income showed associations with PA, ST and sleep. Compared with low parents’ education group, the risk for unhealthy behavioral patterns was lower in those with high parents’ education level(P<0.05).
Conclusion
The current status of 24-hour physical activity for children aged 6-13 in China is not ideal, and social demographics should be considered when designing targeted interventions to promote children’s health.