Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors among Chinese Children: Recent Trends and Correlates

Objective This study was aimed at examining the trends and correlates of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviors among Chinese children. Methods A total of 4,341 subjects (6,936 observations) aged 6–17 years who participated in the China Health and Nutrition Survey (2004–2015) were included. Of the subjects, 41％ participated in the survey twice or more. Random-effects ordinal regression models and repeated-measures mixed-effects models were used to examine the PA trends. Quantile regression models were applied to examine the factors influencing PA and sedentary behaviors. Results From 2004 to 2015, the prevalence of physical inactivity among Chinese children aged 6–17 years increased by 5.5％ [odds ratio (OR), 1.51; 95％ confidence interval (CI), 1.19–1.90; P < 0.001]. The PA volume declined by 5.8 metabolic equivalent of task-hr/week (P < 0.001), and the time spent in sedentary behaviors increased by 1.8 hr/week (P < 0.001). Age, ethnicity, and region showed significant effects on the PA volume across the quartiles (P < 0.001). Across the quartiles, sedentary time was significantly higher in the children residing in urban areas (P < 0.001) or areas with high urbanization levels (P ≤ 0.005) than in their counterparts. Conclusions A declining PA trend among Chinese children aged 6–17 years was observed from 2004 to 2015, and certain subgroups and geographical areas are at higher risk of physical inactivity.