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Meta-Analysis
. 2020 Jan;21(1):e12953.
doi: 10.1111/obr.12953. Epub 2019 Oct 23.

Longitudinal changes in moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abdulaziz Farooq  1   2 , Anne Martin  3 , Xanne Janssen  2 , Mathew G Wilson  1   4 , Ann-Marie Gibson  2 , Adrienne Hughes  2 , John J Reilly  2
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Longitudinal changes in moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abdulaziz Farooq et al. Obes Rev. 2020 Jan.

Abstract

Moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) is important for childhood obesity prevention and treatment, yet declines with age. Timing and magnitude of the decline in MVPA in children and adolescents are unclear but important for informing effective obesity intervention development. This systematic review aimed to determine and compare the year-to-year changes in MVPA among children and adolescents. Longitudinal studies were identified by searching 10 relevant databases up to December 2018. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they reported accelerometer-assessed MVPA (min day-1 ) separately for boys and girls and had follow-up duration of at least 1 year. After screening 9,232 studies, 52 were included representing 22,091 aged 3 to 18 year olds (boys=8,857; girls=13,234). Pooled-analysis of the relative change in MVPA per year showed a decline of -3.4% (95% CI, -5.9 to -0.9) in boys and -5.3% (95% CI, -7.6 to -3.1) in girls, across all age groups. There were notable declines in MVPA at age 9 for both boys (-7.8%, 95% CI, -11.2 to -4.4) and girls (-10.2%, 95% CI, -14.2 to -6.3). The relative decline in MVPA affects both sexes from an early age; however, it is greater among girls. Interventions to promote MVPA should start before adolescence.

Keywords: accelerometer; adolescents; children; moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

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Conflict of interest statement

All the authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart through different phases of systematic review (identification, screening, eligibility, inclusion)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Trajectories of moderate‐to‐vigorous‐intensity physical activity among boys and girls from age 3 to age 18 years
Figure 3
Figure 3
Scatter plot of standardized mean annual difference in moderate‐to‐vigorous‐intensity physical activity against age at baseline in boys and girls Legend: The bubbles represent the estimates of effect sizes using random effects derived from meta‐analysis with covariates, age at baseline, and gender. Size of bubbles are proportionate to the level of precision of each effect in the study; the projected 95% CI shaded region is a loess function curves for boys and girls respectively
Figure 4
Figure 4
A, Random effects meta‐analysis of the annual mean difference in moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (min day−1) based on age level among boys. B, Random effects meta‐analysis of the annual mean difference in moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (min day−1) based on age level among girls
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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