The effects of COVID-19 on the Physical Activity and Recreational Screen Time among Chinese children and adolescents

Ming Ming Guo; Koon Teck Koh; Xiao Zan Wang

doi:10.1016/j.jesf.2024.04.002

The effects of COVID-19 on the Physical Activity and Recreational Screen Time among Chinese children and adolescents

J Exerc Sci Fit. 2024 Oct;22(4):288-296. doi: 10.1016/j.jesf.2024.04.002. Epub 2024 Apr 24.

Authors

Ming Ming Guo¹, Koon Teck Koh², Xiao Zan Wang¹

Affiliations

¹ College of Physical Education and Health, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
² Physical Education & Sports Science, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, 637616, Singapore.

Abstract

Background: The lack of Physical Activity (PA) and prolonged Recreational Screen Time (RST) among children and adolescents has been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, causing this issue to escalate into a crucial public health concern. This study aims to investigate the trends in PA and RST among Chinese children and adolescents from 2019 to 2022, thereby analyzing the short-term and long-term effects of the pandemic on PA and RST among Chinese children and adolescents.

Methods: A nationally representative sample of Chinese primary, middle, and high school students was surveyed annually between September and December from 2019 to 2022 using a consistent set of questionnaires. Trends in PA and RST across different school levels, genders, areas (urban/rural), and regions (north/south) were analyzed using Segmented Linear Regression.

Results: From 2019 to 2022, the PA and RST of children and adolescents displayed an inverted U-shaped trend, initially increasing and subsequently declining. Specifically, from 2019 to 2021, the PA of children and adolescents significantly increased but dramatically declined from 2021 to 2022. This trend in PA is more pronounced among primary, male, urban, and northern children and adolescent. The RST of children and adolescents increased from 2019 to 2020 but significantly decreased from 2020 to 2022. This trend in RST is more pronounced among primary, urban, and southern children and adolescent.

Conclusions: This research unveils the effects of the pandemic on PA and RST in children and adolescents, suggesting short-term beneficial and long-term adverse effects on PA and short-term adverse and long-term beneficial effects on RST. These findings provide a foundation for formulating policies related to children and adolescents' PA and RST during the pandemic.

Keywords: Chinese children and adolescents; National trends; Pandemic; Physical activity; Recreational screen time.