Geographic Disparities In Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, Play Time, And BMI In Nigerian Preschoolers

PURPOSE: Adherence to physical activity guidelines is known to positively impact children’s physical, social, and cognitive well-being. However, Nigeria lacks a comprehensive National Physical Activity policy for all ages. While a previous study indicated that about 77% of preschoolers objectively adhere to WHO physical activity guidelines, the differences, including other outcomes based on geographic locations, remain unclear. This paper investigates the disparities in physical activity, sedentary behavior, playtime, and BMI among rural and urban preschoolers. METHODS: This study encompassed 131 healthy preschoolers (3.4 ± 0.78 years) from Lagos, Nigeria. Each participant wore an Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometer on their hips for a minimum of 72 hours weekly. Socio-demographic information was gathered using the WHO STEPS survey. The accelerometer measures preschoolers' physical activity (light, moderate, and vigorous PA) and sedentary time. Additionally, the Sunrise Parent questionnaire assessed the children's playtime and sleep duration. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated from their weight and height squared. RESULTS: Two-sample t-tests revealed no notable differences in Total Playtime (t = 0.95, p < 0.34), and Sleep Time (t = -1.2, p < 0.23) between urban and rural preschoolers. Significant differences were found in BMI (t = -2.3, p < 0.02), Sedentary Time (ST) (t = -3.09, p < 0.003), and Physical Activity (PA) (Light, Moderate, Vigorous) (t = 4.5, p <0.01) at .05 significance level. Rural children had higher PA (Mean = 252.07), while urban children had higher ST (Mean = 634.20) and BMI (Mean = 15.14). CONCLUSION: Significant disparities were observed between rural and urban preschoolers' physical activity (PA), sedentary time, and Body Mass Index (BMI). Rural children exhibited higher levels of PA, whereas urban children showed increased sedentary time and BMI. There is a clear need for physical activity intervention programs to enhance PA and reduce sedentary time among urban preschoolers.