With increases in inactive lifestyles and mounting pressure for academic excellence in Chinese younger populations, lack of physical activity and increased prevalence of obesity have become a major public health concern in China. The purpose of this study is to provide updated estimates on the prevalence of meeting moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and screen viewing time guidelines, and overweight and obesity among Chinese school-aged children and adolescents, with a secondary aim examining variations in prevalence by sex, grade groupings, and residential location. The study sample came from the 2017 Physical Activity and Fitness in China—The Youth Study, a cross-sectional and national survey of 131,859 students (aged 7 to 19 years) from 986 public schools in China. Measures of MVPA, screen viewing time, and age- and sex-specific overweight and obese body mass index were used to calculate national prevalence estimates of Chinese school-aged children and adolescents. In 2017, 34.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 34.09–34.11%) of children and adolescents met MVPA guidelines and 65.4% (95% CI, 65.39–65.41%) adhered to screen viewing time guidelines. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 15.1% (95% CI, 15.09–15.11%) and 10.7% (95% CI, 10.69–10.71%), respectively. Prevalence estimates differed by sex (boys, girls), grade grouping (primary schools, junior middle schools, junior high schools), and residential location (rural, urban). There remains a low prevalence of meeting MVPA guidelines and high prevalence of overweight and obesity in Chinese school-aged children and adolescents. Future efforts should focus on monitoring the trend of these behavioral and health risk factors to inform school policies and programs aimed at increasing physical activity and reducing and preventing obesity in younger populations in China.

This study presents the most recent estimates of prevalence of overweight, obesity, and screen-time viewing among Chinese school-aged children. Demographic differences in these estimates between sexes and resident locales were also examined. Cross-sectional analyses of 116,615 Chinese school children 9 to 17 years of age who participated in the 2016 Physical Activity and Fitness in China-The Youth Study project. Outcomes were the prevalence of children's overweight (85th ≤ body mass index (BMI) < 95th percentile) and obesity (BMI ≥95th percentile) (defined by the Working Group on Obesity in China) and not meeting screen-time viewing recommendations ("not meeting" was defined as more than 2 h per day of viewing activities after school). Analyses were conducted on the whole sample and by school grade cohorts (primary, junior middle, and junior high schools), sex, and residence locales (urban, rural). Overall, 14.4% (95% confidence interval (CI): 13.8%-15.0%) of children and adolescents were overweight, 11.9% (95%CI: 11.0%-13.0%) were obese, and 36.8% (95%CI: 34.7%-38.9%) did not meet screen-time viewing recommendations. Across the 3-grade cohorts, boys were more likely to be obese than girls, and primary and junior middle school children living in urban areas were more likely to be obese than those living in rural areas. Primary and junior middle school boys were less likely to meet screen-time recommendations than girls, and junior high school children living in urban areas were less likely to meet screen-time recommendations than school children of the same grades living in rural areas. In 2016, the prevalence of obesity among Chinese school children was about 12%, and about 37% of them did not meet screen-time viewing recommendations. The prevalence of obesity and sedentary behavior was generally higher among boys than among girls, and it was higher for children living in urban areas than for those living in rural areas.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an early childhood and lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder. Many studies have confirmed that motor skills and physical activity interventions can improve motor development in ASD individuals and ultimately improve their quality of life. However, systematic evidence is lacking on whether motor skills and physical activity interventions improve motor development among children with ASD. Methods: A systematic search of the CNKI, PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases was conducted for publications through 30 July 2023. Citation tracking and reference tracking were also used, and this study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guidelines. Results: Of 8908 studies initially retrieved, 57 met the selection criteria and were evaluated. The overall quality of the evidence, assessed using PEDro, was low. The evaluated studies included 1622 children with ASD, among which 517 were males, from level II to IV, and ranging in age from 3 to 17 years. Five types (physical activity interventions, motor skill interventions, hippotherapy, equine-assisted or simulated horse riding interventions, exergaming interventions, and physical education interventions) of motor development interventions were used, and 57 studies achieved some positive results for improvements in motor development among children with ASD. Furtherly, eight studies reported motor development acquisition, retention, or transfer. Children with ASD learn well from different types of instructors, including teachers, coaches, camp counselors, physical therapists, and peers. Conclusions: Motor skills and physical activity interventions improved motor development among children with ASD, the effect of which would continue until the end of the interventions.

The objectives of this study were (a) to report grade level prevalence in physical activity and sedentary behaviors and (b) to examine academic burden associations with these behaviors. School-aged children (n= 48,118) reported their physical activity, perception of physical activity sufficiency, factors for activity insufficiency, homework hours, and screen time in a typical week. Data were analyzed using general linear models and logistic regression models of Complex Samples. Prevalence results showed that children had lower physical activity and lower screen viewing time, but higher homework time during transition grades (6th, 9th, and 12th) and high school years. Academic burden was cited as the primary reason for not having sufficient physical activity (76.6%). Compared to those citing academic burden, students who did not report academic burden were significantly more likely to meet physical activity guidelines (Odds Ratio (OR) = 5.38, 95% CI = 4.74–6.11), but less likely to meet screen time guidelines (OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.72–0.84), controlling for body mass index, gender, and grade level. Additionally, children who reported academic burdens had significantly longer average daily homework time than those who did not (p<0.01). Policy makers should promote physical activity and help children find a balance between homework and physical activity time particularly among the educational transition grades.