Pandemic-related Changes In Physical Activity And Screen Time Among Chinese Children And Adolescents

PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate the trends in physical activity and leisure screen time among Chinese children and adolescents from 2019 to 2022 and to analyze the short-term and long-term effects of the pandemic on these indicators. METHODS: A four-year annual survey was conducted, involving a sample of 97,523 Chinese elementary, middle, and high school students, utilizing consistent survey tools. Trends in PA and LST were analyzed across different school levels, genders, regions (urban/rural), and areas (southern/northern China). RESULTS: From 2019 to 2022, PA and LST among children and adolescents exhibited an inverted U-shaped trend, initially rising and then declining. Specifically, PA compliance among primary school students increased from 26.3% in 2019 to a peak of 43.0% in 2021, before falling to 34.4% in 2022. Middle school compliance grew from 18.4% in 2019 to 26.0% in 2021, remaining steady at 26.5% in 2022, while high school students’ compliance remained consistently lower, ranging from 12.7% to 17.3%. For LST, compliance among primary school students decreased from 78.0% in 2019 to 74.7% in 2020 but improved to 80.2% in 2022. Middle school compliance steadily rose from 79.4% in 2019 to 84.7% in 2021, with a slight decrease to 82.6% in 2022. High school students maintained high compliance throughout, from 89.4% in 2019 to 85.7% in 2022. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the pandemic's impact on children's and adolescents' physical activity and leisure screen time, indicating a short-term positive effect and long-term negative effect on physical activity, while leisure screen time showed a short-term negative effect and long-term positive effect. These findings provide a foundation for developing policies addressing children's and adolescents' physical activity and leisure screen time during and after the pandemic. Supported by: National Social Science Fund of China, 20CTY011