A recent global study has found that only 14% of preschoolers around the world are meeting the recommended guidelines for physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep. This alarming statistic highlights the growing need to address the issue of physical inactivity in young children. The article explores the importance of these movement behaviors for healthy growth and development, and the potential health consequences of not meeting the guidelines. It also delves into the regional and socioeconomic disparities in adherence to the guidelines, providing insights into the underlying factors contributing to this global challenge.
Why those Movement Behaviors matter
Preschool-aged kids need plenty of physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep at just the right amounts to grow well. The World Health Organization also has endorsed the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years, that is inclusive of crucial movement behaviors.
Achieving degrees of adherence to these guidelines can have large health effects—including lower risks for obesity, better social and emotional skills, and higher levels of motor skill development. Yet, the new global study shows that 86% of all preschoolers worldwide do not meet criteria for ALL recommended behaviours, thus being at risk for suboptimal health and development.
Geographical and Market Disparities
There were considerable variations in adherence to movement behavior across regions and income levels, according to the study. Guideline adherence was the highest in low-income countries, at 17%, followed by high (14%) and middle income (12%) categories. This indicates that access to physical activity opportunities and screen time devices could be key determinants in the development of these behaviours.
Adherence to movement behavior was highest in the African and European regions at 24% of participants who spent less than eight hours sitting down, followed by the Southeast Asia region at 23%, while it was lowest in the Americas region, with just 8% of participants adherent. Of note, the Americas region had the highest prevalence of sufficient physical activity but poorest screen time behaviors thus underscoring a necessity for an integrated approach to tackling all movement behaviours.
Meeting a Universal Challenge
Key pointsThe lack of adherence to movement behaviour guidelines globally highlights the need for action. The Global Action Plan on Physical Activity [2] from the World Health Organization and initiatives like it in certain nations like Canada offer a template for capacity-building collaborations to enhance understanding of such behaviors.
There are also opportunities for cross-learning—where a country can model another region’s which is good, while working on the other. This could be an excellent arena for global collaboration and sharing of knowledge in the form of ongoing projects such as the SUNRISE study where researchers from more than 70 countries have converged.
By collectively focusing our efforts to encourage and enable healthy movement behaviors in children, we are ensuring that the next generation of youngsters will benefit from leading an actively balanced life. A critical move toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and a future in better health for everyone.
