A cross-sectional study on physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep among under-five children in slum areas of burdwan municipality, West Bengal

Abstract

Introduction: Less time in physical activity, increase in sedentary time, and screen time have various negative health consequences and are a matter of concern for childhood health now-a-days. The study was to find out the prevalence of adequate physical activity and sleep, the status of sedentary behaviour and screen time among under-five children residing in the slum areas of Burdwan Municipality and their association with selected demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of study participants. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was done among 180 under-five children residing in slums of Burdwan Municipality in Purba Bardhaman District of West Bengal, India, during January to March 2020. A predesigned, pretested schedule was used to collect necessary information on physical activity, sedentary, and sleep behavior of under-five children following the recent guideline by the World Health Organization. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee of Burdwan Medical College and Hospital. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), software version 20. Results: Overall 69.4%, 70%, and 63.3% of the children were physically active, restrained themselves in enjoying their sedentary life and screen viewing within recommended timeframe, respectively. 84.4% children had adequate sleep time with nap. Logistic regression revealed that the absence of siblings was associated with inadequate physical activity (adjusted odds ratios [AOR] =3.82 [1.88, 7.77]) and more than recommended sedentary lifestyle (AOR = 5.01 [2.45, 10.26]) while more than recommended screen viewing was associated with age (AOR = 4.84 [2.34, 10.00]) and house condition (AOR = 6.54 [2.32, 18.42]). Conclusions: This study put emphasis on the requirement of focussed intervention on increasing physical activity and reduction in screen-based engagement among under-five.