Relationship between physical activity and sleep recommendations compliance and excess weight among school children from Temuco, Chile.

INTRODUCTION

Given the importance of physical activity and sleep for health, different recommendations have been proposed for the pediatric population. The objective of this study was to determine the association between physical activity and sleep recommendations compliance and excess weight in school children from Temuco, Chile.

POPULATION AND METHODS

Physical activity and sleep were measured using ActiGraph wGT3X-BT® accelerometers. Excess weight was categorized on two categories: absence (normal weight) or presence (overweight or obesity) based on body mass index.

RESULTS

A total of 183 school children participated (54.1 % were females; mean age = 10.95 ± 1.07). Of them, 85.4 % did not meet physical activity recommendations, whereas 75.6% did not meet sleep recommendations. Significant differences were observed in favor of boys over girls in relation to moderate and vigorous physical activity (p = 0.002), but this was not the case for amount of sleep. School children with excess weight showed less time spent in moderate and vigorous activity (p = 0.004) and a lower amount of sleep (p = 0.010) than normal weight ones. Non-compliance with physical activity recommendations was associated with excess weight (odds ratio [OR] = 8.178; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.465-45.635; p = 0.017), but this was not observed in relation to sleep recommendations.

CONCLUSIONS

A high percentage of school children do not meet the recommendations for physical activity and sleep. Associations were observed by sex and presence of excess weight. Strategies are required to promote compliance with these recommendations in the pediatric population.