Not all screens are equal: associations between screen-based sedentary behavior
and physical activity in Chinese children and adolescents
#MMPMID41346751
Wang Y
; Gong B
; Zhang J
; Chen W
; Guo M
Front Public Health
2025[]; 13
(?): 1681183
PMID41346751
show ga
BACKGROUND: Prior research has produced mixed results on the association between
screen-based sedentary behavior (SSB) and physical activity (PA) in children and
adolescents. Limited attention has been paid to how different types of SSB relate
to PA across subgroups. METHODS: This study analyzed data from 2,328 Chinese
children and adolescents (aged 10-18) in the 2020 and 2022 waves of the China
Family Panel Studies. Sufficient PA was defined as at least 60 min per session,
five times a week. SSB types included online gaming, online shopping, short video
watching, online learning, and WeChat use, categorized into never, occasional,
and daily use. Logistic regression was used to explore associations between SSB
and insufficient PA, with subgroup analyses by gender, educational level, and
urban-rural residence. RESULTS: Daily short video watching was associated with
higher odds of insufficient PA among females (OR = 1.68), while occasional
watching also increased the risk among elementary school students (OR = 1.61).
Rural children and adolescents who occasionally engaged in online learning were
more likely to report insufficient PA compared with those who never participated
(OR = 1.32). In contrast, WeChat use was associated with lower odds of
insufficient PA, particularly among males (OR = 0.19), rural children and
adolescents (OR = 0.64), and junior high school students (OR = 0.59). No
significant associations were found between online gaming or online shopping and
insufficient PA. CONCLUSIONS: Different types of SSB show divergent associations
with PA across subgroups. Short video watching and online learning may hinder PA,
whereas moderate WeChat use appears to support it. Tailored, subgroup-specific
intervention ns are needed to mitigate the risks of SSB and promote PA and health
among children and adolescents.
|*Exercise
[MESH]
|*Screen Time
[MESH]
|*Sedentary Behavior
[MESH]
|Adolescent
[MESH]
|Child
[MESH]
|China
[MESH]
|East Asian People
[MESH]
|Female
[MESH]
|Humans
[MESH]
|Male
[MESH]
|Rural Population/statistics & numerical data
[MESH]
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