How strong is the evidence supporting the WHO guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep in early childhood?
WHO guidelines
early childhood
physical activity
screen time
sedentary behaviour
sleep
Journal
European journal of clinical investigation
ISSN: 1365-2362
Titre abrégé: Eur J Clin Invest
Pays: England
ID NLM: 0245331
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
31 Jul 2024
31 Jul 2024
Historique:
received:
03
06
2024
accepted:
20
07
2024
medline:
1
8
2024
pubmed:
1
8
2024
entrez:
1
8
2024
Statut:
aheadofprint
Résumé
The WHO issued recommendations about the ideal amount of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep in infants, toddlers and preschool children. To facilitate their interpretation and translation into public health policies, we analysed the quantity and quality of the evidence that supported the development of each WHO recommendation. All data for each exposure-outcome pair analysed in the studies informing WHO guidelines were extracted, and predefined criteria, based upon GRADE methodology, were used to classify each outcome and study result. Among the 237 studies that could be included, 37 were experimental and 200 were observational, yielding 920 analyses of exposure-outcome associations. Sixty-two analyses used a relevant outcome, with or without significant results. Five of the 10 WHO recommendations were based upon zero analyses with significant results on relevant health outcomes. The remaining recommendations were mostly based upon analyses evaluating obesity-related outcomes. Eight of the 10 GLs thresholds were not supported by any significant analysis on clinically relevant outcomes. While these findings should not be interpreted as an attempt to disprove the benefits of healthy lifestyle habits in early childhood, neither to minimize the work of the experts in this complex research field, very limited evidence currently supports the adoption of recommended thresholds as behavioural surveillance and public health interventions targets. Therefore, until further data are available, public health interventions should be developed balancing whether to focus on the achievement of specific targets that are still not supported by high-quality evidence or on the general promotion of healthy behaviours.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
The WHO issued recommendations about the ideal amount of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep in infants, toddlers and preschool children. To facilitate their interpretation and translation into public health policies, we analysed the quantity and quality of the evidence that supported the development of each WHO recommendation.
METHODS
METHODS
All data for each exposure-outcome pair analysed in the studies informing WHO guidelines were extracted, and predefined criteria, based upon GRADE methodology, were used to classify each outcome and study result.
RESULTS
RESULTS
Among the 237 studies that could be included, 37 were experimental and 200 were observational, yielding 920 analyses of exposure-outcome associations. Sixty-two analyses used a relevant outcome, with or without significant results. Five of the 10 WHO recommendations were based upon zero analyses with significant results on relevant health outcomes. The remaining recommendations were mostly based upon analyses evaluating obesity-related outcomes. Eight of the 10 GLs thresholds were not supported by any significant analysis on clinically relevant outcomes.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSIONS
While these findings should not be interpreted as an attempt to disprove the benefits of healthy lifestyle habits in early childhood, neither to minimize the work of the experts in this complex research field, very limited evidence currently supports the adoption of recommended thresholds as behavioural surveillance and public health interventions targets. Therefore, until further data are available, public health interventions should be developed balancing whether to focus on the achievement of specific targets that are still not supported by high-quality evidence or on the general promotion of healthy behaviours.
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
e14294Informations de copyright
© 2024 The Author(s). European Journal of Clinical Investigation published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Stichting European Society for Clinical Investigation Journal Foundation.
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