COMPORTAMENTO SEDENTÁRIO EM PRÉ-ESCOLARES: ANÁLISES INICIAIS DO CONTEXTO URBANO E RURAL DO ESTUDO SUNRISE NA REGIÃO CENTRO OESTE DO BRASIL

Abstract

Introduction: The health implications of excessive sedentary behavior throughout life are being recognized. Early childhood (birth to five years) is critical for establishing healthy habits related to sedentary behavior, with a view to ensuring adequate health both now and in the future. Objective: To describe the data collection process of the International Study on 24-Hour Movement Behaviors in Early Childhood (SUNRISE)/Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) in the Midwest region of Brazil and to analyze the sedentary behavior of preschool children living in urban and rural areas of the region. Methods: This is an excerpt from the SUNRISE CIHR study, involving 212 children (104 boys and 108 girls with a mean age of 4.30 ± 0.51 years) from early childhood education centers located in urban and rural areas of the Midwest region. Sociodemographic and sedentary behavior data were collected through a questionnaire administered in the form of an interview. Results: The sample consisted of 50.9% girls, with a predominance of 4-year-olds (72.3%). Most children were brown-skinned (47.6%), followed by white (44.8%) and black (6.1%). Regarding parental education, high school/technical school completion was the most common (56.6%). No statistically significant differences were observed between urban and rural children in terms of gender, age, or skin color. A difference was found in the sedentary behavior of children living in urban and rural areas. Children in urban areas played outside the home more often (50.9%) than those in rural areas (26%), and the presence of electronic devices in the bedroom was higher among children in urban areas (42.6%) than in rural areas (26%), with a significant difference (p < 0.001). Final thoughts: This study gives us new info on how kids in central-western Brazil spend their time, which is an area that hasn't been looked at much in national research. Early interventions are key to promoting healthy habits and reducing how much kids sit around.