Health-related quality of life and adherence to physical activity and screen time recommendations in schoolchildren: Longitudinal cohort Ciao Corona

Haile, Sarah R.; Gunz, Samuel; Peralta, Gabriela P.; Ulyte, Agne; Raineri, Alessia; Rueegg, Sonja; Yasenok, Viktoriia; Radtke, Thomas; Puhan, Milo A.; Kriemler, Susi

doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/ijph.2023.1606033

Health-related quality of life and adherence to physical activity and screen time recommendations in schoolchildren: Longitudinal cohort Ciao Corona

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Citation

Haile SR, Gunz S, Peralta GP, Ulytė A, Raineri A, Rueegg S, Yasenok V, Radtke T, Puhan MA, Kriemler S. Health-related quality of life and adherence to physical activity and screen time recommendations in schoolchildren: Longitudinal cohort Ciao Corona. Int J Public Health. 2023 Jul 19;68:1606033. DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2023.1606033

Abstract

Objectives: We investigated changes in adherence to physical activity (PA) and screen time (ST) recommendations of children and adolescents throughout the pandemic, and their association with health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Methods: 1,769 primary (PS, grades 1-6) and secondary (SS, 7-9) school children from Ciao Corona, a school-based cohort study in Zurich, Switzerland, with five questionnaires 2020-2022. HRQOL was assessed using the KINDL questionnaire. PA (≥60 min/day moderate-to-vigorous PA) and ST (≤2 h/day ST) recommendations followed WHO guidelines. Results: Adherence to PA recommendations dropped in 2020 (83%-59% PS, 77%-52% SS), but returned to pre-pandemic levels by 2022 (79%, 66%). Fewer children met ST recommendations in 2020 (74% PS, 29% SS) and 2021 (82%, 37%) than pre-pandemic (95%, 68%). HRQOL decreased 3 points between 2020 and 2022, and was 9.7 points higher (95% CI 3.0-16.3) in March 2021 in children who met both versus no recommendations. Conclusion: Adherence to WHO guidelines on PA and ST during the pandemic had a consistent association with HRQOL despite longitudinal changes in behavior.