Is Meeting 24-Hour Movement Guidelines Associated with Emotion Regulation among Children and Adolescents?

Background: The Canadian 24-h movement guidelines (24-HMG) emphasize the holistic consideration of physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior, and sleep in shaping health outcomes. This study aimed to examine the associations between meeting 24-HMG and emotion regulation-related indicators among children and adolescents. Methods: A total of 534 Chinese children and adolescents aged 12.94 ± 1.10 years (49.81% males) participated in this study and completed self-report measures assessing 24-h movement behaviors, emotion regulation strategies, emotion regulation flexibility, and regulatory emotional self-efficacy. Results: Only 7.12% of the participants adhered to two or all three guidelines. The number of guidelines met was positively associated with the use of emotion regulation strategies, emotion regulation flexibility, and regulatory emotional self-efficacy. Compared with meeting none of the guidelines, participants who met one or more guidelines reported significantly better performance in these outcomes. Conclusion: Meeting 24-HMG was associated with superior emotion regulation in children and adolescents. The importance of engaging in regular PA, limiting recreational screen time, and getting enough sleep should be highlighted for fostering emotion regulation in this demographic.