Seasonal variation in objectively measured physical activity, sedentary time, cardio-respiratory fitness and sleep duration among 8-11 year-old Danish children: a repeated-measures study
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Understanding fluctuations in lifestyle indicators is important to identify relevant time periods to intervene in order to promote a healthy lifestyle; however, objective assessment of multiple lifestyle indicators has never been done using a repeated-measures design. The primary aim was, therefore, to examine between-season and within-week variation in physical activity, sedentary behaviour, cardio-respiratory fitness and sleep duration among 8-11 year-old children. METHODS: A total of 1021 children from nine Danish schools were invited to participate and 834 accepted. Due to missing data, 730 children were included in the current analytical sample. An accelerometer was worn for 7 days and 8 nights during autumn, winter and spring, from which physical activity, sedentary time and sleep duration were measured. Cardio-respiratory fitness was assessed using a 10-min intermittent running test. RESULTS: The children had 5% more sedentary time, 23% less time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and 2% longer sleep duration during winter compared to spring and cardio-respiratory fitness was 4% higher during spring compared to autumn (P < 0.001). Sedentary time was higher and total physical activity, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and sleep duration (boys only) were lower during weekends at all seasons (P ≤ 0.01). Intraclass correlation coefficients between seasons ranged from 0.47-0.74, leaving 45-78% to seasonal variation. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, sedentary time was higher and physical activity lower during winter and during weekends. The most accurate and unbiased estimates of physical activity came from autumn; however, the considerable intra-individual variation suggests that a single measurement may not adequately characterise children's habitual sleep and activity.
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Day of measurement was included as a covariate because sleep and activity behaviors have been shown to differ between weekdays and weekend days (12).
“Day of measurement (weekday or weekend day) was included as a covariate because sleep and activity behaviors have been shown to differ between weekdays and weekend days (12).”
From Are children like werewolves? Full moon and its association with sleep and activity behaviors in an international sample of children (2016) · cites this paper as [12]
The school meal intervention did not affect physical activity, sedentary time and sleep duration.
“As the school meal intervention did not affect physical activity, sedentary time and sleep duration 9”
From Physical activity, sleep duration and metabolic health in children fluctuate with the lunar cycle: science behind the myth (2015) · cites this paper as [9]
We adjusted for a large number of potential confounders shown to affect physical activity and sleep duration in this group of children.
“Further, we adjusted for a large number of potential confounders shown to affect physical activity and sleep duration in this group of children 9.”
From Physical activity, sleep duration and metabolic health in children fluctuate with the lunar cycle: science behind the myth (2015) · cites this paper as [9]
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Hjorth, M. F., Chaput, J.-P., Michaelsen, K., Astrup, A., Tetens, I., & Sjödin, A.
- Affiliations
- University of Copenhagen (DK)
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CA)
- Technical University of Denmark (DK)
- Corresponding author
- Hjorth, Mads F
- Venue
- BMC Public Health
- Published
- 2013-09-08
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 808-808
- ISSN
- 1471-2458 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC3846279
- OpenAlex
- W2143678773
- Cited by
- 143
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 21 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 13.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- BMC Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- uO Research (University of Ottawa) (submittedVersion, public-domain)
- Technical University of Denmark, DTU Orbit (Technical University of Denmark, DTU) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Nordea-fonden
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Keywords
- seasonal variation, children, physical activity, sedentary behavior, cardiorespiratory fitness, sleep duration, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, weekend effect, accelerometer-measured activity
- MeSH terms
- Age Factors, Analysis of Variance, Cardiovascular System, Child, Child Welfare, Cross-Sectional Studies, Denmark, Female, Health Education, Health Surveys, Humans, Male, Motor Activity, Physical Fitness, Surveys and Questionnaires, Regression Analysis, Respiratory System, Seasons, Sex Factors, Sleep, Time Factors, Reproducibility of Results, Exercise, Sedentary Behavior
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