This study investigates the relationship between 24-hour movement behaviors (sleep, sedentary behavior, and physical activity) and adiposity in Australian preschoolers using compositional data analysis (CoDA). The research analyzed data from 169 preschoolers aged 3–5 years, collected using ActiGraph accelerometers to measure activity levels, while parents reported sleep duration.
Key findings:
Overall 24-hour movement behavior composition was associated with BMI z-scores (p = 0.002).
More sleep was linked to lower BMI z-scores (p = 0.025), while more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was unexpectedly associated with higher BMI z-scores (p = 0.010).
Reallocating 10 minutes of sleep or MVPA proportionally to other activities resulted in minor BMI z-score changes (+0.031 and -0.085, respectively).
Future research should consider larger, more diverse samples and additional adiposity indicators (e.g., waist-to-height ratio, fat percentage).
The study underscores the importance of a balanced distribution of movement behaviors for healthy weight maintenance in preschoolers.
Photo Credit: Canva