Association between the 24-hour movement guidelines and executive function among Chinese children

Associations of 24-hour movement behaviors with emotional and behavioral problems among Chinese adolescents

PURPOSE

The role of adherence to the recommendations for 24-hour movement behaviors (24-HMB), including physical activity (PA), screen time (ST), and sleep duration (SLP), in relation to emotional and behavioral problems in Chinese adolescents remains uncertain. This study aimed to investigate these associations and explore potential sex differences.

METHODS

This school-based cross-sectional study included 15,071 Chinese adolescents with a mean age of 14.53 (SD: 1.65) years. Data on emotional and behavioral problems and 24-HMB (including PA, ST, and SLP) were collected. Analysis was performed using general linear mixed models, with additional sex-stratified analyses conducted.

RESULTS

The number of 24-HMB recommendations met was negatively associated with total difficulties (β estimate=-0.96, 95% CI: -1.07 to -0.85) and positively related to prosocial behavior (β estimate = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.37 to 0.46) among adolescents. Compared with none of the recommendations met, meeting all recommendations (total difficulties: β estimate=-2.98, 95% CI: -3.41 to -2.55; prosocial behaviors: β estimate = 1.05, 95%CI: 0.87 to 1.24) demonstrated the strongest association with both difficulties and prosocial behaviors, followed by meeting recommendations for PA + ST (total difficulties: β estimate=-2.15, 95% CI: -2.41 to -1.90; prosocial behaviors: β estimate = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.87 to 1.09). These associations were consistently significant in both boys and girls.

CONCLUSION

Adherence to more 24-HMB recommendations, particularly meeting all recommendations or combined PA + ST recommendations, could improve emotional and behavioral well-being among adolescent girls and boys. The significance of balanced movement behaviors for promoting adolescent mental health merits increased attention.

Association between meeting 24-h movement guidelines and health in children and adolescents aged 5-17 years: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Twenty-four-hour movement behaviors have significant implications for physical and mental health throughout one's lifespan. Consistent with movement behaviors, several countries have formulated and published 24-h movement guidelines. This review summarized the studies related to 24-h movement guidelines among children and adolescents from six databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and SPORTDiscus). In a total of 61 studies that discussed compliance with 24-h movement guidelines, the overall adherence rate was very low (7.1%), with boys exceeding girls, children surpassing adolescents, and regional differences. A total of 39 studies examined the associations between 24-h movement guidelines and health indicators. Findings indicated that meeting all three guidelines was favorably associated with adiposity, cardiometabolic health, mental and social health, physical fitness, health-related quality of life, academic achievement, cognitive development, perceived health, dietary patterns, and myopia. Future research should utilize longitudinal and experimental designs to enhance our understanding of the associations between 24-h movement guidelines and health indicators, thereby aiding the formulation and refinement of such guidelines.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, CRD42023481230.

Is adherence to the 24-h movement guidelines associated with greater academic-related outcomes in children and adolescents? A systematic review and meta-analysis

The purpose of this systematic review was to synthesise the evidence for the association of adherence to the 24-h movement guidelines with academic-related outcomes in children and adolescents. This systematic review was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, WOS, SPORTDiscus, and EMBASE were searched from their inception to 12 December 2023. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist was used to assess the risk of bias of included studies. In total, 4326 records were identified through database searches; 10 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review. There were eight cross-sectional studies and two longitudinal studies; the main academic-related outcomes were academic achievement and cognitive function. A small association between adherence to all three recommendations and academic achievement (k = 5, r = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.10-0.24, I2 = 49%) was found compared to those who did not adhere to any recommendations.   Conclusion: Findings from this systematic review and meta-analysis reveal a small association between adherence to all three recommendations and greater academic achievement in children and adolescents. Nevertheless, it is imperative to underscore the need for more studies to establish robust evidence underpinning this relationship.   Trial registration: PROSPERO (CRD42021295403). What is Known: • Regular physical activity, reduced screen time, and optimal sleep duration are independently associated with improved academic-related outcomes in children and adolescents. • The associations between adherence to the 24-h movement guidelines and academic-related outcomes in children and adolescents have not been quantitatively synthesised. What is New: • There is a small but positive association between adherence to all three recommendations of the 24-h movement guidelines and greater academic achievement in children and adolescents. • Further well-designed research is needed to focus on academic achievement, cognitive function and classroom behaviours in young individuals.

Association between meeting the 24-h movement guidelines and psychosocial health in children: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

Emerging evidence suggests that meeting the 24-h movement guidelines is associated with optimal mental health. However, there remains some uncertainty regarding this association in children. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the association between meeting the 24-h movement guidelines and psychosocial health in children.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study design was employed to investigate 2005 children aged 9-12 years from four districts of Shanghai, China. The 24-h movement behaviours were assessed using selected items from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey questionnaire. Children's self-rated psychosocial health was evaluated using the Strengths or Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Generalised Linear Models with the ordinal logistic module were employed to analyse the association between meeting the 24-h movement guidelines and psychosocial health.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of meeting all three 24-h movement recommendations was 10.2%. Among children, 7.9% of them exhibited abnormal total difficulties, with a notable difference between sex (boys: 11.2%, girls: 7.0%, p = 0.001). Meeting all three 24-h movement behaviour recommendations was associated with reduced total difficulties, emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity and peer problems. Furthermore, a dose-response association was observed, indicating that meeting a greater number of 24-h movement behaviour recommendations was associated with enhanced psychosocial health, particularly in boys.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study highlight the positive association between meeting the 24-h movement guidelines and psychosocial health in children. Notably, meeting more of these recommendations was associated with a lower likelihood of experiencing psychosocial problems, with greater benefits observed in boys compared with girls.

Association between muscle strength and executive function in Tibetan adolescents at high altitude in China: Results from a cross-sectional study at 16-18 years of age

BACKGROUND

In recent years, adolescents have shown a trend of decreasing muscle strength, especially in the upper limbs, and it affects the development of executive functions. However, few studies have been conducted on Tibetan adolescents in high-altitude regions of China. To this end, this study investigated upper limb muscle strength and executive function in Tibetan adolescents in Tibetan regions of China and analyzed the association between them.

METHODS

A three-stage stratified whole-group sampling method was used to test and investigate grip strength, executive function, and basic information in 1093 Tibetan adolescents from Tibet, a high-altitude region of China. A chi-square test and one-way ANOVA were used to compare the basic status and executive function of Tibetan adolescents with different muscle strength. Multiple linear regression analysis and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the correlations that existed between muscle strength and each sub-function of executive function.

RESULTS

The differences between the inconsistently and congruent reaction times of Tibetan adolescents with different grip strength levels (P75 ) at high altitude in China were statistically significant (F-values of 32.596 and 31.580, respectively; P-values <.001). The differences between the 1-back and 2-back response times for the refresh memory function were also statistically significant (F-values of 9.055 and 6.610, respectively; P-values <.01). Linear regression analysis showed that after adjusting for the relevant covariates, the 1-back reaction time of Tibetan adolescents in the grip strength < P25 group increased by 91.72 ms (P < .01); the 2-back reaction time of Tibetan adolescents in the grip strength < P25 group increased by 105.25 ms (P < 0.01), using grip strength > P75 as the reference group. Logistic regression analysis showed that, after adjusting for relevant covariates, Tibetan adolescents in the grip strength < P25 group had a higher risk of developing 2-back dysfunction (OR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.24,2.88), using grip strength >P75 as the reference group (P < .01). The risk of cognitive flexibility dysfunction (OR = 1.86, 95% CI: 1.16, 2.98) was also increased (P < .05).

CONCLUSION

There was a significant correlation between grip strength and executive function of refresh memory function and cognitive flexibility in Tibetan adolescents in high altitude areas of China. Those with higher upper limb muscle strength had shorter reaction time, that is, better executive function. In the future, we should focus on improving the upper limb muscle strength of Tibetan adolescents at high altitude in China to better promote the development of executive function.

Relationships between physical activity, sleep, and screen time with academic performance and psychological functioning among US children and adolescents with depression

OBJECTIVE

This cross-sectional study examined the relationships between adherence to 24-HMB guidelines (including physical activity [PA], screen time [ST], and sleep) with academic performance and psychological functioning among children and adolescents with depression.

METHODS

This study consists of 2165 participants aged 6-17 years with depression. Independent variables were components of 24-HMB guideline adherence, while outcomes of interest were academic performance (i.e., caring about school performance and completion of required homework) and psychological functioning (i.e., resilience and self-regulation). Logistic regression analysis was conducted while adjusting for confounding variables.

RESULTS

Only 1.03 % of the participants adhered to PA + ST + Sleep guidelines. Compared to non-adherence, adherence to PA + ST guidelines was significantly linked to a greater likelihood of caring about school performance (OR = 2.17), while ST + Sleep guidelines adherence was significantly linked to a greater likelihood of caring about school performance (OR = 2.02), completing homework (OR = 2.91), resilience (OR = 2.51), and self-regulation (OR = 2.51). Furthermore, adherence to PA + ST + Sleep guidelines was significantly linked to a higher likelihood of caring about school performance (OR = 5.01), resilience (OR = 2.49), and self-regulation (OR = 2.88) among these participants with depression.

CONCLUSION

Adhering to 24-HMB guidelines is positively linked to academic performance and psychological functioning among children and adolescents with depression. Thus, establishing healthy lifestyle behaviors should be promoted in school settings.

Combinations of physical activity, screen time and sleep, and their association with subjective wellbeing in children

BACKGROUND

Subjective wellbeing is an important indicator of health outcomes in children. 24-hour movement behaviours (i.e., physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep and their combination), a set of modifiable lifestyle behaviours, have been demonstrated to be associated with subjective wellbeing. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the compliance of the 24-h movement guidelines and subjective wellbeing in a sample of Chinese children.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data from primary and secondary school students in Anhui Province, China were used for the analysis. A total of 1098 study participants (mean age: 11.6 years, body mass index: 19.7 ± 2.9) were included, of which 51.5% were boys. Physical activity, screen time, sleep, and subjective wellbeing were measured using validated self-reported questionnaires. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationships between the compliance of different combinations of 24-h movement guidelines and subjective wellbeing in participants.

RESULTS

The compliance of (i.e., physical activity recommendations, screen time recommendations and sleep recommendations) 24-h movement guidelines was associated with better subjective wellbeing (OR: 2.09; 95CI%: 1.01-5.90) compared to the compliance of none of the guidelines. Furthermore, there was a dose-response relationship between the number of guidelines met (3 > 2 > 1 > 0) and improved subjective wellbeing (p < 0.05). Despite some exceptions, there was a significant relationship between the compliance of different combinations of the guidelines and better subjective wellbeing.

CONCLUSION

This study found that the compliance of 24-h movement guidelines was associated with greater subjective wellbeing in Chinese children.

The association between muscle strength and executive function in children and adolescents: Based on survey evidence in rural areas of China

Background

In recent years, muscle strength in children and adolescents has continued to decline, especially in rural areas. Executive function as a higher function of the brain, is closely related to the future achievement of children and adolescents. For this reason, this study analyzed the correlation between muscle strength and executive function in children and adolescents in rural areas of China to better promote the development of muscle strength and executive function.

Methods

Demographic factors, muscle strength, and executive function were tested in 1,335 children and adolescents in rural China using a three-stage stratified whole-group sampling method. One-way ANOVA and chi-square test were used to compare the differences in executive function among children and adolescents with different muscle strengths. Multiple linear regression analysis and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the association that exists between muscle strength and executive function.

Results

When comparing the inconsistently, congruent, 1back, 2back, conversion, size parity, and cognitive flexibility response times of children and adolescents with different muscle strength indexes in rural China, the differences were statistically significant (F = 46.592, 45.610, 10.809, 32.068, 24.095, 19.260, 11.501, p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis was performed using children and adolescents with muscle strength index >P80 as the control group. The results showed that the risk of 1back dysfunction was higher (OR = 1.764, 95% CI:1.094, 2.843) in children and adolescents with muscle strength index <P20 (p < 0.05). The risk of 2back dysfunction was higher in children and adolescents with a muscle strength index <P20 (OR = 2.129, 95% CI:1.329, 3.410) (p < 0.01). Compared with children and adolescents with muscle strength index >P80. The muscle strength index <P20 group had a higher risk of cognitive flexibility dysfunction (OR = 1.820, 95% CI:1.111, 2.982) (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

There is a association between muscle strength and executive function in children and adolescents in rural areas of China. Those with higher muscle strength have shorter executive function reaction times and are at lower risk of developing executive dysfunction. Future measures should be taken to improve muscle strength and executive function levels in children and adolescents in rural areas to promote healthy physical and mental development.