20th Apr 2024

Introduction: Integrating movement behaviours into the 24-hour recommendations is a holistic approach of leading a healthy lifestyle. However, research on how complying with each behaviour influences the others is still scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the interconnectedness between attaining each of the 24-hour movement behaviour recommendations among Portuguese youth.
Methods: A total of 282 students (138 girls), aged 11 to 17 years old (mean=12.9±1.0), participated in this study. Young people’s movement behaviours, such as physical activity, sedentary behaviour (screen time) and sleep, were measured by accelerometery and self-reported. Logistic regression models were carried out to investigate the relationship between each of the movement behaviours, adjusting the analysis for gender and age.
Results: Sleep recommendations were attained by 64% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 58.2, 69.4) of youths. On the other hand, only 25% (95%CI: 20.1, 30.2) and 29% (95%CI: 23.8, 34.4) complied with physical activity and sedentary behaviour recommendations, respectively. Attaining the sedentary behaviour recommendations increases twofold the chances of complying with both the physical activity (odds ratio [OR]=2.03; 95%CI: 1.04, 3.97) and sleep recommendations (OR=2.33; 95%CI: 1.27, 4.26). Complying with the physical activity and sleep recommendations were not related to each other.
Conclusions: Compliance with the 24-hour movement behaviours recommendations among Portuguese youth is still far from ideal. Notwithstanding, attaining the sedentary behaviour recommendations was interconnected with physical activity and sleep recommendations. Public health strategies targeting youth’s screen time may also be effective for promoting physical activity and sleep.