Estudo Internacional de Atividade Física, Comportamento Sedentário e Sono na Primeira Infância (SUNRISE): um estudo piloto em Portugal

Abstract

This pilot study is part of the International Study of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Sleep in Early Childhood (SUNRISE), and aimed to describe the prevalence of 3- and 4-yearold children who meet the movement behaviour guidelines (physical activity, screen time and sleep), according to gender and area of residence (urban or rural). A total of 112 children aged 3 and 4 were assessed from 6 schools located in the northern region of Portugal, 3 in urban areas and 3 in rural areas. Of these, 4 children with neurodevelopmental disorders were excluded, resulting in a final sample of 108 children who wore accelerometers (GT3x) for 5 consecutive days to assess physical activity and sedentary behaviour, whose anthropometric measurements included weight and height to calculate body mass index, and whose parents answered a questionnaire to report information on time spent in front of screens and sleep duration. Cut-off points were used to identify the different intensities of the behaviours measured by accelerometry. The movement behaviours were then operationalised according to the recommendations and the children were categorised as compliant/not compliant. Descriptive statistics were used, as well as the independent t-test for comparisons between the sexes, and the chi-square test was used to assess the association between the context of residence and compliance with the recommendations, adopting a significance value of 95%. The results indicated that among the 108 participating children (59 girls), boys spent more time on moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) than girls and children living in urban areas spent more time on total physical activity (TPA) and MVPA than those living in rural areas. The results also indicated that one third of children simultaneously meet the recommendations for physical activity, screen time and sleep. This study highlights the importance of promoting and monitoring movement behaviours in preschool children in Portugal. The impact of these results could provide relevant information for future public policies, with the aim of enhancing child development.