Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the physical activity and screen time habits of children aged 11-13 years in Sweden.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Physical activity (PA), exercise, sedentary behavior and screen time are lifestyle factors that have been shown to significantly impact child health in different ways. These lifestyle factors were affected to different degrees by global restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated PA and screen time in a cohort of Swedish children in both 2019 and 2021, before and during the pandemic.

Method

Adolescents born in 2008 in Halland, Sweden, and included in a previous longitudinal birth cohort study were invited to take part in follow-up questionnaires about PA, screen time and COVID-19. A total of 1041 children aged 11 (in 2019) and 13 years (in 2021) replied and 777 of them answered on both occasions.

Results

Most children (42.1%) reported that

SUBMITTER: Berggren S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10447604 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature