Adherence to the 24-hour movement guidelines and adiposity in a cohort of at risk youth: A longitudinal analysis.

Background: The 24-hour movement guidelines provide recommendations for physical activity, screen time and sleep duration for children.

Objectives: Describe adherence to the guidelines and their cross-sectional and longitudinal associations with adiposity from childhood to adolescence.

Methods: Data are from the QUALITY Cohort. Children were followed at 8 to 10 years (childhood; n = 630), 10 to 12 years (early adolescence; n = 564) and 15 to 17 years (adolescence; n = 377). Physical activity, screen time, and sleep duration were measured by accelerometry and questionnaires. Body mass index z-scores (zBMI), waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio and percent body fat were based on clinical measurements. Multiple linear regressions estimated associations.

Results: In childhood, early adolescence and adolescence, 14%, 6%, and 0% of participants met the 24-hour movement guidelines, respectively. Meeting fewer guideline components was cross-sectionally associated with higher adiposity at each visit. Meeting fewer guideline components in childhood was longitudinally associated with higher adiposity at later visits. For example, those meeting none of the guideline components (vs all) in childhood had a 1.66 SD (95% CI: 0.42, 2.89) higher zBMI in early adolescence.

Conclusion: Few participants met the guidelines. Not meeting the guidelines in childhood is associated with higher adiposity 2 and 7 years later. Interventions are needed to increase adherence to the 24-hour movement guidelines across childhood and adolescence.