Encouragement to be More Physically Active or to Lessen Sedentary Behavior; Are These Two as the Same?

There are a considerable number of published studies that strongly support the benefits of physical activity in children, and to achieve such benefits, guidelines recommend children to participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. There is a vicious cycle between low physical activity and increased body mass index. The aim of this study was to assess daily physical activity and sedentary behavior in overweight and obese children. In this descriptive analytical study, 300 overweight and obese children were recruited to assess their daily physical activity, energy expenditure and screen times with standard techniques. Distribution of these variables was examined according to their demographic characteristics. Using Pearson’s correlation test and linear regression the predictor effect between these variables was discovered. There was a significant difference between physical activity and screen time according to Relative Body Mass Index (RBMI), gender and grade (P ≤ 0.001). Pearson’s correlation test discovered a positive association between Weekly Screen Time (WST) and Daily Physical Activity (DPA) (r ≈ 0.37, P ≤ 0.001). In the regression model, children’s screen time explained only about 13% of change in body mass index. Overweight and obese children may consume more energy according to the international recommendations. In parallel with this, they experience more sedentary behavior, as well. In this situation, planning to decrease their sedentary behavior is at greater priority.