Associations of 24‐h movement behaviour with overweight and obesity among school‐aged children and adolescents in Pakistan: An empirical cross‐sectional study
Authors' conclusion
Children failing to meet none or only one guideline faced increased overweight/obesity risk compared to those meeting all recommendations. Individual-level factors such as eating habits, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep patterns, and unhealthy lifestyle choices significantly influenced body weight status. Urgent interventions are needed to enhance physical education resources and sports facilities in schools to create healthier environments and reduce overweight/obesity prevalence among students, promoting lifelong habits of physical activity and improving health and well-being.
Study context
- Population
- School-aged children and adolescents aged 9–17 years, 62 schools in central Punjab, Pakistan; Body mass index (BMI) classified by CDC US 2000 BMI percentilesplus 3371 parents
- Participants
- 4,200 children
- Exposure
- 24-h movement behaviours and overweight/obesity
- Outcome
- Overweight and obesity
Methodological detailspopulation-based, multistage random cluster sampling, 62 schools, Conducted 15 January to 15 March 2023
- Population-based
- Multistage random cluster sampling
- 62 schools
- Conducted 15 January to 15 March 2023
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Fast food three or more days/week: odds of obesity (OR)
9.95
p < 0.01
PA <60 min/day, twice a week or less: odds of obesity (OR)
3.47
p < 0.01
Screen time three or more h/day: odds of obesity (OR)
2.50
p < 0.01
Short sleeper: odds of overweight (OR)
3.54
p < 0.01
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Not meeting recommended guidelines
- Junk food consumption (boys, girls)
- 31.5% boys, 33.3% girls
- Physical activity (boys, girls)
- 70% boys, 83.8% girls
- Screen time (boys, girls)
- 37.7% boys, 41.1% girls
- Sleep (boys, girls)
- 55.7% boys, 54% girls
Original publication
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →