Four out of five infants exceed screen recommendations

The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences (GIH) has, together with The Swedish Food Agency, investigated young children's physical activity, sedentary time, and screen time in relation to gender and parental education. GIH has analyzed the results regarding physical activity and screen time, and The Swedish Food Agency has been responsible for conducting the survey Riksmaten småbarn 2021–24.

– We have measured the physical activity and screen time of 1,828 Swedish children aged 18 months and four years. These are unique results as it is the first time it has been done on a national sample of younger children, says Gisela Nyberg, first author and Professor at GIH.

Alarming about screen time

The study was conducted between 2021 and 2024, where the children were recruited through their parents. 1,078 children aged 18 months and 750 children aged four years participated. Physical activity, sedentary time, and screen time were measured using accelerometers, that is movement sensors, and questionnaires.

– Fortunately, many young children are sufficiently active, but screen time is a problem already at an early age. The results showed that most children at 18 months and half of the four-year-old children met the guidelines for physical activity.

– However, many children exceeded the screen time guidelines, meaning that children under two years of age should not use digital media. Among children aged 18 months, only 22 percent met the guidelines for screen time on weekdays and 17 percent on weekends. Among 4-year-olds, it was 60 percent on weekdays and 28 percent on weekends, says Gisela Nyberg.

Large socio-economic differences

Physical activity measured with accelerometers was consistently lower for girls than for boys at the age of four, but gender differences were minor among children who were 18 months old. A larger proportion of children whose parents were highly educated participated in organized activities and used active modes of transportation; they also had less screen time than children whose parents had low levels of education.

– There were apparent differences in children's physical activity and screen time depending on age, gender, and socioeconomic background. This shows the need for early, targeted interventions to promote physical activity and limit screen time, says Gisela Nyberg.

– It feels important to be able to complement our results on young children's eating habits with knowledge of how much they move. Both parts are of great importance for health, says Lotta Moraeus, project manager for The Swedish Food Agencys eating habits survey Riksmaten småbarn, which includes the study on physical activity and screen time.

The article can be read in the scientific journal Acta Paediatrica External link..
The article can also be read at GIH´s publication database DiVA External link.