ArticleBMC public health2021
Global effect of COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep among 3- to 5-year-old children: a longitudinal study of 14 countries.
Article in BMC public health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 79 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
79 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 148 citations in OpenAlex.
- A critical systematic review of the impact of sedentarism and physical inactivity on the cognitive performance of children.Systematic reviews · 2026Pooled it
- Physical Activity Levels of Early Childhood Educators: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Child: care, health and development · 2026Pooled it
- Lifestyle interventions and 24-hour movement behaviors in preschool children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Effects of eHealth Interventions on 24-Hour Movement Behaviors Among Preschoolers: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Pooled it
- Assessment of Changes in Child and Adolescent Screen Time During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.JAMA pediatrics · 2022Pooled it
- Global Changes in Child and Adolescent Physical Activity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.JAMA pediatrics · 2022Pooled it
- Changes in Physical Activity Patterns Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Impact of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on movement behaviours of children and adolescents: a systematic review.BMJ global health · 2022Pooled it
- Investigating the impact of physical activity on BMI, motor skills, and sleep patterns in elementary school children.Frontiers in public health · 2025Trial
- Effectiveness and Implementation of a Text Messaging mHealth Intervention to Prevent Childhood Obesity in Mexico in the COVID-19 Context: Mixed Methods Study.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2024Trial
- Painted playgrounds for preschoolers' physical activity and fundamental motor skill improvement: a randomized controlled pilot trial of effectiveness.BMC pediatrics · 2023Trial
- COVID-19 pandemic and changes in children's physical activity in a rural US community: a mixed methods study.BMJ open · 2022Trial
- 24-hour movement behaviors and internalizing and externalizing problems among Japanese preschool children: A compositional data analysis.Journal of exercise science and fitness · 2026Article
- Race/Ethnicity and Change in Physical Activity From Infancy to Preschool Age.Pediatric exercise science · 2026Article
- Preschool-aged children 24-hour movement behaviours before and during COVID-19.Sports medicine and health science · 2025Article
- The open health-promoting activities programme: redefining health promotion and family dynamics by engaging parents in socioeconomically deprived Swedish communities.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Adherence to the Singapore Integrated 24 h Activity Guidelines for Pre-Primary School Children Before, During and After the COVID-19 Lockdown in Singapore.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Investigation of Malocclusion and Associated Factors in Preschoolers: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study.Epidemiologia (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Early life adversity and adolescent sleep problems during the COVID-19 pandemic.Stress and health : journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress · 2024Article
19 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
37 authors at 16 institutions in 13 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe restrictions associated with the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in changes to young children's daily routines and habits. The impact on their participation in movement behaviours (physical activity, sedentary screen time and sleep) is unknown. This international longitudinal study compared young children's movement behaviours before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
methodsParents of children aged 3-5 years, from 14 countries (8 low- and middle-income countries, LMICs) completed surveys to assess changes in movement behaviours and how these changes were associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Surveys were completed in the 12 months up to March 2020 and again between May and June 2020 (at the height of restrictions). Physical activity (PA), sedentary screen time (SST) and sleep were assessed via parent survey. At Time 2, COVID-19 factors including level of restriction, environmental conditions, and parental stress were measured. Compliance with the World Health Organizations (WHO) Global guidelines for PA (180 min/day [≥60 min moderate- vigorous PA]), SST (≤1 h/day) and sleep (10-13 h/day) for children under 5 years of age, was determined.
resultsNine hundred- forty-eight parents completed the survey at both time points. Children from LMICs were more likely to meet the PA (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AdjOR] = 2.0, 95%Confidence Interval [CI] 1.0,3.8) and SST (AdjOR = 2.2, 95%CI 1.2,3.9) guidelines than their high-income country (HIC) counterparts. Children who could go outside during COVID-19 were more likely to meet all WHO Global guidelines (AdjOR = 3.3, 95%CI 1.1,9.8) than those who were not. Children of parents with higher compared to lower stress were less likely to meet all three guidelines (AdjOR = 0.5, 95%CI 0.3,0.9).
conclusionPA and SST levels of children from LMICs have been less impacted by COVID-19 than in HICs. Ensuring children can access an outdoor space, and supporting parents' mental health are important prerequisites for enabling pre-schoolers to practice healthy movement behaviours and meet the Global guidelines.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.