Not surprisingly, young people in British Columbia are not getting enough sleep or moving about.
Only 4% of the more than 26,000 kids in grades 6–8 surveyed by researchers at the University of British Columbia are fulfilling Canada’s daily movement standards.
Children should get eight to ten hours of sleep, engage in at least one hour of physical activity, and limit their recreational screen time to no more than two hours per day,as per Canada’s 24-Hour Movement Guidelines.
“Excessive recreational screen time” is by far the largest problem,according to the findings,which were released on Tuesday. While 26% of children reached the recommendations for physical exercise and 73% for sleep, only 14% of children met the daily screen time recommendation.
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Adopted in 2016, Canada’s 24-Hour Movement Guidelines were the first in the world to incorporate recommendations for sleep, physical exercise, and inactive time limitations. The guidelines were later accepted by the World Health Organization.
This recent study indicated that children who met more of the activity criteria reported higher mental health and well-being,even though the guidelines were connected to better physical health.
As an associate professor at UBC’s Human Early Learning Partnership in the school of population and public health,lead researcher Dr. Eva Oberle stated, “We see significantly better mental health for youth who meet all, or even some of the movement guidelines.”
It’s interesting to note that the biggest component linked to improved mental health was sleep, underscoring the significance of young people receiving a decent night’s sleep. Naturally, there is a connection between the movement behaviors. Physical activity improves sleep quality, and prolonged screen time might disrupt sleep.
According to the study, when it comes to sleep, screen time, and movement behaviors, females seem to benefit from mental health the most.
Even if it means introducing a stroll after dinner or guaranteeing that children have access to physical education in schools all year long, parents,guardians,and educators are urged to assist youth in meeting any of the standards.
“Every family will have their own strategies that work for them,and as a parent myself,I know how difficult it can be to find balance,” Oberle said.
However,in general,encouraging constructive activity is far simpler than limiting screen time. Children naturally spend less time online when they are involved in activities,such as sports,music,crafts, outdoor play,or even riding their bikes to school.