LAUSR

Background Childhood obesity rates have reached epidemic proportions world-wide, identifying modifiable factors to address this has become vital. Adverse child behaviour, in terms of low physical activity and high sedentary time, has increased alongside rates of over-weight and obesity. However, research on these aspects of physical health is limited in young children. Methods 275 5-year-old children from the ROLO Kids study were included in this study. Parental-reported physical activity levels were collected using the CLASS questionnaire along with information on screen time. Child anthropometry including height, weight, circumferences and skinfold thickness were collected, along with heart rate and blood pressure. T-tests, Mann-Whitney U, and Chi-square tests were used to compare the participants and linear regression models were used to control for confounders. Results Male 5-year olds spent more time in vigorous physical activity and in front of a screen than females (P < 0.05). 37.5% of the cohort were not meeting the WHO physical activity guidelines of more than one hour per day and 73.4% were exceeding the AAP guidelines for screen time of less than one hour per day. After controlling for confounders, vigorous physical activity was positively associated with child weight and BMI, while screen time was positively associated with waist to height ratio (P < 0.05). Those meeting the guidelines for screen time also had reduced waist to height ratio (P < 0.05). Conclusion Three quarters of the cohort exceeded recommendations for screen time, which, as these findings indicate, could have a detrimental impact on body composition. Further research is required in this area to expand on the importance of physical activity and screen time in 5-year old children.