Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

September 8, 2020

Early Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Children Living in the U.S.

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  • US parents responding to an online survey reported that the most common physical activities during April to May 2020 for children (n=211, mean age=8.3 years) were free play/unstructured activity (90%) and going for a walk (55%). Children engaged in about 90 min of school-related sitting and over 8 hours of leisure-related sitting per day.
  • Parents of children ages 9-13 years were more likely to perceive a greater decrease of physical activity compared to parents of children ages 5-8.

Dunton et al. (Dec 4, 2020). Early Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Children Living in the U.S. BMC Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09429-3