Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Pediatrics
Published in: BMC Pediatrics 1/2021

Open Access 01-12-2021 | Obesity | Research article

A cross-sectional, exploratory survey on health-relevant free-time activities and body mass index in preschool children in urban and rural settings of Austria

Authors: J. Robatsch, P. Voitl, Susanne C. Diesner-Treiber

Published in: BMC Pediatrics | Issue 1/2021

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

The increasing prevalence of obesity is among the most relevant healthcare issues in Europe. The number of overweight people rises due to lifestyle changes, increased sitting activities, and less physical activity. Prevention in early childhood is paramount to stop this alarming trend.

Aim

This study primarily aimed to evaluate the average time children (3-5 years) from rural and urban Austrian regions spent engaging in physical activity and sedentary behaviors in their free-time. Additionally, we investigated the potential correlation between duration and habits of free-time activity or place of residence and age- and sex-specific body mass index (BMI). The potential impact of socio-economic factors on BMI was examined.

Methods

Urban (Vienna) and rural (Carinthia) regions of Austria were chosen for this observational cross-sectional study. Preschool children (n=130) attending nurseries in these regions were included. Weight and height were measured and BMI calculated. Free-time activity and socio-economic data were asked using a self-administered questionnaire. Data on sedentary behavior time (sedentary activity and media consumption) and physical activity time (defined as organized or spontaneous exercise) were analyzed using non-parametric tests.

Results

Preschool children spent approximately as many hours of their free-time engaged in physical activity as in sedentary behaviors. Time trend in media consumption amounts to one-third of the cumulative time spent engaging in sedentary behaviors. Preschoolers from the urban area spent fewer hours practicing organized exercise and more in sedentary behaviors than peers in the rural area. In the selected areas, 7 % of preschoolers were overweight, 3.9 % were obese. BMI was not associated with free-time activities but showed a trendwise negative correlation with organized exercise. A positive correlation of age and organized exercise was observed but not with physical activity per se.

Conclusions

Our results confirm the necessity of preventive interventions among Austrian preschoolers and lead to a better understanding of their free-time activities. Further investigations with larger study populations are needed to promote effective childhood obesity prevention and examine the differences regarding obesity prevalence and leisure-time activity between rural and urban areas.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
2.
Kiefer I, Rieder A, Rathmanner T, Meidlinger B, Baritsch C, Lawrence K, et al. Erster Österreichischer Adipositasbericht 2006. Grundlagen für zukünftige Handlungsfelder: Kinder, Jugendliche, Erwachsene. Verein Altern mit Zukunft, Herausgeber; 2016.
3.
4.
Kromeyer-Hauschild K, Wabitsch M, Kunze D. Perzentile für den Body-mass-Index für das Kindes-und Jugendalter unter Heranziehung verschiedener deutscher Stichproben. Monatsschr Kinderheilkd. 2001;149:807–18.CrossRef
5.
Cole TJ, Bellizzi MC, Flegal KM, Dietz WH. Establishing a standard definition for child overweight and obesity worldwide: international survey. BMJ. 320:1240–3.
6.
7.
Wabitsch M, Kunze D (federführend für die AGA). Konsensbasierte (S2) Leitlinie zur Diagnostik, Therapie und Prävention von Übergewicht und Adipositas im Kindes- und Jugendalter. 2015. www.​a-g-a.​de. Accessed 31 Aug 2020.
8.
9.
Liao X-P, Yu Y, Marc I, Dubois L, Abdelouahab N, Bouchard L, et al. Prenatal determinants of childhood obesity: a review of risk factors. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2019;97:147–54.PubMedCrossRef
10.
Page KA, Luo S, Wang X, Chow T, Alves J, Buchanan TA, et al. Children Exposed to Maternal Obesity or Gestational Diabetes Mellitus During Early Fetal Development Have Hypothalamic Alterations That Predict Future Weight Gain. Dia Care. 2019;42:1473–80.CrossRef
11.
Mueller NT, Whyatt R, Hoepner L, Oberfield S, Dominguez-Bello MG, Widen EM, et al. Prenatal exposure to antibiotics, cesarean section and risk of childhood obesity. Int J Obes. 2015;39:665–70.CrossRef
12.
Morgen CS, Ängquist L, Baker JL, Andersen AMN, Michaelsen KF, Sørensen TIA. Prenatal risk factors influencing childhood BMI and overweight independent of birth weight and infancy BMI: a path analysis within the Danish National Birth Cohort. Int J Obes. 2018;42:594–602.CrossRef
13.
14.
Kelsey MM, Zaepfel A, Bjornstad P, Nadeau KJ. Age-Related Consequences of Childhood Obesity. Gerontology. 2014;60:222–8.PubMedCrossRef
15.
16.
Cramer P, Steinwert T. Thin is good, fat is bad: How early does it begin? J Appl Dev Psychol. 1998;19:429–51.CrossRef
17.
Harriger JA, Thompson JK. Psychological consequences of obesity: Weight bias and body image in overweight and obese youth. Int Review Psychiatry. 2012;24:247–53.CrossRef
18.
Singh AS, Mulder C, Twisk JWR, Van Mechelen W, Chinapaw MJM. Tracking of childhood overweight into adulthood: a systematic review of the literature. Obes Rev. 2008;9:474–88.PubMedCrossRef
19.
Döring N, Mayer S, Rasmussen F, Sonntag D. Economic Evaluation of Obesity Prevention in Early Childhood: Methods, Limitations and Recommendations. IJERPH. 2016;13:911.PubMedCentralCrossRef
20.
Gao Z, Chen S, Huang CC, Stodden DF, Xiang P. Investigating elementary school children’s daily physical activity and sedentary behaviours during weekdays. J Sports Sci. 2017;35:99–104.PubMedCrossRef
21.
Arundell L, Hinkley T, Veitch J, Salmon J. Contribution of the After-School Period to Children’s Daily Participation in Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviours. PLoS ONE. 2015;10:e0140132.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
22.
Herman KM, Craig CL, Gauvin L, Katzmarzyk PT. Tracking of obesity and physical activity from childhood to adulthood: The Physical Activity Longitudinal Study. International Journal of Pediatric Obesity. 2009;4:281–8.PubMedCrossRef
23.
Dhar P, Robinson C. Physical activity and childhood obesity. Appl Econ Lett. 2016;23:584–7.CrossRef
24.
Biddle SJ, Gorely T, Stensel DJ. Health-enhancing physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children and adolescents. J Sports Sci. 2004;22:679–701.PubMedCrossRef
25.
Prentice-Dunn H, Prentice-Dunn S. Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and childhood obesity: A review of cross-sectional studies. Psychology Health Medicine. 2012;17:255–73.CrossRef
26.
Hu FB. Television Watching and Other Sedentary Behaviors in Relation to Risk of Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Women. JAMA. 2003;289:1785.PubMedCrossRef
27.
Tandon PS, Zhou C, Sallis JF, Cain KL, Frank LD, Saelens BE. Home environment relationships with children’s physical activity, sedentary time, and screen time by socioeconomic status. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2012;9:88.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
28.
Wilkie HJ, Standage M, Gillison FB, Cumming SP, Katzmarzyk PT. The home electronic media environment and parental safety concerns: relationships with outdoor time after school and over the weekend among 9–11 year old children. BMC Public Health. 2018;18:456.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
29.
Pearson N, Braithwaite RE, Biddle SJH, van Sluijs EMF, Atkin AJ. Associations between sedentary behaviour and physical activity in children and adolescents: a meta-analysis: Active and sedentary behaviours in youth. Obes Rev. 2014;15:666–75.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
30.
Biddle SJ, Gorely T, Marshall SJ, Murdey I, Cameron N. Physical activity and sedentary behaviours in youth: issues and controversies. J Royal Soc Promotion Health. 2004;124:29–33.CrossRef
31.
Zhang Y-X, Wang Z-X, Zhao J-S, Chu Z-H. Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity among Children and Adolescents in Shandong, China: Urban–Rural Disparity. J Trop Pediatr. 2016;62:293–300.PubMedCrossRef
32.
Trivedi T, Liu J, Probst J, Merchant A, Jhones S, Martin AB. Obesity and obesity-related behaviors among rural and urban adults in the USA. Rural Remote Health. 2015;14:3267.
33.
McCormack LA, Meendering J. Diet and Physical Activity in Rural vs Urban Children and Adolescents in the United States: A Narrative Review. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition Dietetics. 2016;116:467–80.PubMedCrossRef
34.
Euler R, Jimenez EY, Sanders S, Kuhlemeier A, Van Horn ML, Cohen D, et al. Rural–Urban Differences in Baseline Dietary Intake and Physical Activity Levels of Adolescents. Prev Chronic Dis. 2019;16:180200.CrossRef
35.
Johnson JA, Johnson AM. Urban-Rural Differences in Childhood and Adolescent Obesity in the United States: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Childhood Obesity. 2015;11:233–41.PubMedCrossRef
36.
Cohen SA, Cook SK, Kelley L, Foutz JD, Sando TA. A Closer Look at Rural-Urban Health Disparities: Associations Between Obesity and Rurality Vary by Geospatial and Sociodemographic Factors: Rural-Urban Disparities: Moderation by Place & SES. J Rural Health. 2017;33:167–79.PubMedCrossRef
37.
38.
39.
40.
Lynch E, Liu K, Spring B, Hankinson A, Wei GS, Greenland P. Association of Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status with Judgments of Body Size: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study. Am J Epidemiol. 2007;165:1055–62.PubMedCrossRef
41.
Krieger N, Williams DR, Moss NE. Measuring Social Class in US Public Health Research: Concepts, Methodologies, and Guidelines. Annu Rev Public Health. 1997;18:341–78.PubMedCrossRef
42.
43.
Strand BH, Kunst A. Childhood Socioeconomic Position and Cause-specific Mortality in Early Adulthood. Am J Epidemiol. 2006;165:85–93.PubMedCrossRef
44.
45.
Elm E, Altmann DG, Egger M, Pocock SC, Gøtzsche PC, et al. Das Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE-) Statement: Leitlinien für das Berichten von Beobachtungsstudien. Internist. 2008;49:688–93.CrossRef
46.
Gupta N, Goel K, Shah P, Misra A. Childhood Obesity in Developing Countries: Epidemiology, Determinants, and Prevention. Endocr Rev. 2012;33:48–70.PubMedCrossRef
47.
48.
Mayer M, Gleiss A, Häusler G, Borkenstein M, Kapelari K, Köstl G, et al. Weight and body mass index (BMI): current data for Austrian boys and girls aged 4 to under 19 years. Ann Hum Biol. 2015;42:45–55.PubMedCrossRef
49.
50.
Greier K, Riechelmann H, Burtscher M. Prevalence of obesity and motor performance capabilities in Tyrolean preschool children. Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2014;126:409–15.PubMedCrossRef
51.
52.
Tomaz SA, Prioreschi A, Watson ED, McVeigh JA, Rae DE, Jones RA, et al. Body Mass Index, Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, Sleep, and Gross Motor Skill Proficiency in Preschool Children From a Low- to Middle-Income Urban Setting. J Phys Act Health. 2019;16(7):525–32.PubMedCrossRef
53.
Vale SM, Santos RM, da C Soares-Miranda, Moreira LM, Ruiz CM, Mota JR. JA. Objectively measured physical activity and body mass index in preschool children. Int J Pediatr. 2010;2010:479439.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
54.
Graf C, Koch B, Dordel S, Schindler-Marlow S, Icks A, Schüller A, et al. Physical activity, leisure habits and obesity in first-grade children. European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention Rehabilitation. 2004;11:284–90.PubMedCrossRef
55.
56.
Tucker P. The physical activity levels of preschool-aged children: A systematic review. Early Childhood Research Quarterly. 2008;23:547–58.CrossRef
57.
Stalsberg R, Pedersen AV. Effects of socioeconomic status on the physical activity in adolescents: a systematic review of the evidence: Effects of socioeconomic status on the physical activity in adolescents. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine Science in Sports. 2010;20:368–83.PubMedCrossRef
58.
Elhakeem A, Cooper R, Bann D, Hardy R. Childhood socioeconomic position and adult leisure-time physical activity: a systematic review. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2015;12:92.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
Metadata
Title
A cross-sectional, exploratory survey on health-relevant free-time activities and body mass index in preschool children in urban and rural settings of Austria
Authors
J. Robatsch
P. Voitl
Susanne C. Diesner-Treiber
Publication date
01-12-2021
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Pediatrics / Issue 1/2021
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2431
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-021-02972-x

Other articles of this Issue 1/2021

BMC Pediatrics 1/2021 Go to the issue

Case report

Hordeum murinum aspiration revealed by a pneumopleurocutaneous fistula in a 15-month-old infant

Research article

Clinical aspects for differential diagnosis of Kawasaki disease shock syndrome: a case control study

Research

Response to: Low gestational age is associated with less anastomotic complications after open primary repair of esophageal atresia with tracheoesophgeal fistula. BMC Paediatric 2020; 20:267

Research

Elucidating the context for implementing nonpharmacologic care for neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome: a qualitative study of perinatal nurses

Research article

Long-term outcomes of early initiated antiretroviral therapy in sub-Saharan children: a Cameroonian cohort study (ANRS-12140 Pediacam study, 2008–2013, Cameroon)

Research Article

Toxic stress, health and nutrition among Brazilian children in shelters