Scientists looked at research from around the world to see how well kids aged 5-17 follow daily movement guidelines. These guidelines include getting enough exercise, limiting screen time, and sleeping well. They found that very few children - usually less than 10% - follow all three rules at once. Kids who do follow these guidelines tend to be healthier, have better grades, and feel better mentally. However, most research comes from wealthy countries, so we need more studies from other parts of the world to get the full picture.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: How well children worldwide follow daily guidelines for exercise, screen time, and sleep
  • Who participated: Studies involving children aged 5-17 from 32 countries, mostly wealthy nations
  • Key finding: Less than 10% of kids follow all three movement guidelines at the same time
  • What it means for you: Following all three guidelines together may help your child stay healthier and do better in school

The Research Details

Researchers collected and analyzed 148 studies published between 2016 and 2024 that looked at children’s daily movement patterns. They searched through six major research databases to find studies that measured how well kids follow guidelines for physical activity, screen time, and sleep. Most of the studies they found were snapshots taken at one point in time, rather than following children over months or years. The researchers organized the studies into different categories based on what they measured - like how many kids follow the guidelines, health outcomes, or what factors influence compliance.

This approach helps us see the big picture of global research on children’s movement behaviors. By combining many studies, researchers can identify patterns and gaps in our knowledge that individual studies might miss.

The researchers found that most studies were of fair or poor quality, with only 3% meeting high-quality standards. This means we should be cautious about drawing strong conclusions, and more rigorous research is needed.

What the Results Show

The main finding was that very few children worldwide meet all three movement guidelines simultaneously. Compliance rates ranged from 0% to about 54%, but 87% of studies found that fewer than 10% of children followed all guidelines. This suggests that most kids are missing out on at least one important aspect of healthy daily movement. The guidelines include getting at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily, limiting recreational screen time to 2 hours or less, and getting age-appropriate amounts of sleep (9-11 hours for younger children, 8-10 hours for teens). Children who did follow all three guidelines showed better physical fitness, healthier weight, better mental health, and improved academic performance.

Several factors influenced whether children followed the guidelines, including age (older kids had lower compliance), gender differences, family income, parental support, and environmental factors like air pollution. The few intervention studies that tried to improve compliance showed promising results, suggesting that targeted programs could help more children meet these important health guidelines.

This review represents the first comprehensive look at global research on 24-hour movement guidelines in children. Previous research typically focused on individual behaviors like just physical activity or just screen time, rather than looking at all three together.

Most research came from wealthy countries, so we don’t know much about children in lower-income nations. Additionally, most studies were cross-sectional snapshots rather than following children over time, making it hard to determine cause and effect relationships.

The Bottom Line

Parents should aim to help their children meet all three movement guidelines: get at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily, limit recreational screen time to 2 hours or less, and ensure adequate sleep. Focus on creating daily routines that support all three behaviors rather than addressing them separately.

Parents, teachers, and healthcare providers working with children aged 5-17 should pay attention to these findings. However, more research is needed before making policy changes, especially in lower-income countries where data is limited.

Benefits may be seen relatively quickly for individual behaviors, but the full health and academic benefits of following all guidelines likely develop over months to years of consistent practice.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track daily minutes of physical activity, recreational screen time hours, and sleep duration to see how often your child meets all three guidelines simultaneously
  • Set up daily schedules that prioritize physical activity time, establish screen time limits, and create consistent bedtime routines to support all three movement behaviors
  • Monitor weekly compliance rates for all three guidelines together, aiming to gradually increase the number of days per week your child meets all guidelines rather than focusing on just one behavior

This information is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Consult with your child’s healthcare provider before making significant changes to their physical activity, screen time, or sleep routines, especially if your child has existing health conditions.