Healthy lifestyles and body mass index as correlates of body image dissatisfaction in primary schoolchildren

Family promotion of children's healthy lifestyles during the COVID-19 pandemic in light of Saudi Vision 2030

Objective

This study aims to determine the role of the family in promoting an active and healthy lifestyle for children aged 3-12 years during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Qassim region in light of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 program.

Background

This study is important in defining the role of the family in promoting an active lifestyle for children during the COVID-19 pandemic because the family is primarily responsible for promoting a healthy lifestyle for children.

Method

We evaluated responses of 320 parents completing an online survey about their children's physical health during the pandemic.

Results

The results showed a low level of children's physical activity and excessive use of electronic devices. Late bedtimes were evident and defined as midnight or later. As well, however, families knew the necessary information about COVID-19 and maintained the children's preventive measures. The families were aware of the child's consumption of a healthy diet. They helped the child complete studies through distance education. The families supported the child's psychological well-being and helped them develop some entertainment plans.

Conclusions

Although the family plays an important role in promoting the active and healthy lifestyle of the child, there is still a need for more awareness regarding the child's practice of physical activity, healthy sleep habits, and correct use of electronic devices.

Implications

Programs should be established to increase family awareness of the guidelines of the World Health Organization and the Saudi Ministry of Health regarding the child's physical activity, sleep habits, and the use of electronic devices.

Healthy and Sustainable Dietary Patterns in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

The need for adherence to a healthy and sustainable dietary pattern in the pediatric stage is discussed worldwide, being linked to a progressive incidence of noncommunicable diseases in adulthood. The aims of this systematic review were to summarize the healthy and/or sustainable dietary patterns, defined a priori, described in the literature for use during the pediatric stage; to evaluate the adherence to these dietary patterns; and identify the health-related benefits associated with adherence to these patterns. A literature search was carried out on Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science from 2010 up to 2021, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A total of 128 articles were included according to the following criteria: participants 2-17 y old, healthy and/or sustainable dietary patterns defined by an a priori methodology; articles written in English or Portuguese; and published since 2010. Fifty instruments with 14 adaptations that measure adherence to healthy and/or sustainable dietary patterns in children and adolescents were found. The Mediterranean Diet was the most studied dietary pattern. Adherence to healthy and/or sustainable dietary patterns has wide variations worldwide. Most of the instruments described have been little studied at pediatric ages, reducing the ability to extrapolate results. Higher adherence to these dietary patterns was associated with lower body fat, waist circumference, blood pressure, and metabolic risk. There is no consensus regarding the association with BMI. No studies have proofs of the sustainability characteristics of these instruments, it being necessary to produce a new sustainable instrument or test the association of the previous ones with, for example, the ecological footprint. Further validations of these instruments in each country and more prospective studies are needed to establish temporal relations with health-related outcomes. This systematic review was registered at www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ as CRD42020221788.