Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Epidemiology and Population Health

Joint associations between weekday and weekend physical activity or sedentary time and childhood obesity

International Journal of Obesity volume 43, pages 691–700 (2019)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective:

To evaluate the single and joint associations of objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time on week and weekend days with obesity in children from 12 countries across all inhabited continents.

Methods:

A multinational, 12-country cross-sectional study of 5779 children aged 9–11 years was conducted. Time spent in MVPA and sedentary behaviors was assessed by waist-worn accelerometry. Logistic regression was used to examine the independent and joint associations of MVPA and sedentary time on weekdays and weekend with the odds of obesity.

Results:

After adjustment for all confounding factors, the odds ratios (ORs) of childhood obesity were the highest among children with a low level of MVPA on both weekdays and weekend (OR 4.67), high among children with a high level of MVPA on weekdays and a low level of MVPA on weekend (OR 1.99) and high among children with a low level of MVPA on weekdays and a high levels of MVPA on weekend (OR 2.20), compared to those with a high level of MVPA on both weekdays and weekend. Similarly, the ORs of childhood obesity were significantly higher among children with a high level of sedentary time on both weekdays and weekend (OR 1.87) compared with those with low levels of sedentary time on both weekdays and weekend.

Conclusions:

Lower levels of MVPA or higher levels of sedentary time on either weekdays or weekend were associated with increased odds of obesity in 9–11 year old children in 12 countries.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. World Health Organization. Global recommendations on physical activity for health. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2010.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Tremblay MS, Aubert S, Barnes JD, Saunders TJ, Carson V, Latimer-Cheung AE, et al. Sedentary Behavior Research Network (SBRN) - Terminology Consensus Project process and outcome. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2017;14:75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. World Health Organisation. Global health risks: Mortality and burden of disease attributable to selected major risks. Geneva: World Health Organisation; 2009.

  4. Batty GD, Lee IM. Physical activity and coronary heart disease. BMJ. 2004;328:1089–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. World Health Organization. Global recommendations on physical activity for health. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2010.

  6. Katzmarzyk PT, Barreira TV, Broyles ST, Champagne CM, Chaput JP, Fogelholm M, et al. Physical activity, sedentary time, and obesity in an international sample of children. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2015;47:2062–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Hubbard K, Economos CD, Bakun P, Boulos R, Chui K, Mueller MP, et al. Disparities in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among girls and overweight and obese schoolchildren during school- and out-of-school time. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2016;13:39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Evenson KR, Wen F, Metzger JS, Herring AH. Physical activity and sedentary behavior patterns using accelerometry from a national sample of United States adults. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2015;12:20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Lee PH, Yu YY, McDowell I, Leung GM, Lam TH. A cluster analysis of patterns of objectively measured physical activity in Hong Kong. Public Health Nutr. 2013;16:1436–44.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Corder K, Craggs C, Jones AP, Ekelund U, Griffin SJ, van Sluijs EM. Predictors of change differ for moderate and vigorous intensity physical activity and for weekdays and weekends: a longitudinal analysis. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2013;10:69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Fairclough SJ, Boddy LM, Mackintosh KA, Valencia-Peris A, Ramirez-Rico E. Weekday and weekend sedentary time and physical activity in differentially active children. J Sci Med Sport. 2015;18:444–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Prentice-Dunn H, Prentice-Dunn S. Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and childhood obesity: a review of cross-sectional studies. Psychol Health Med. 2012;17:255–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Franckle R, Adler R, Davison K. Accelerated weight gain among children during summer versus school year and related racial/ethnic disparities: a systematic review. Prev Chronic Dis. 2014;11:E101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Moreno JP, Johnston CA, Woehler D. Changes in weight over the school year and summer vacation: results of a 5-year longitudinal study. J Sch Health. 2013;83:473–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. von Hippel PT, Workman J. From kindergarten through second grade, U.S. children’s obesity prevalence grows only during summer vacations. Obes (Silver Spring). 2016;24:2296–300.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Katzmarzyk PT, Barreira TV, Broyles ST, Champagne CM, Chaput JP, Fogelholm M, et al. The International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE): design and methods. BMC Public Health. 2013;13:900.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. LeBlanc AG, Katzmarzyk PT, Barreira TV, Broyles ST, Chaput JP, Church TS, et al. Are participant characteristics from ISCOLE study sites comparable to the rest of their country? Int J Obes Suppl. 2015;5(Suppl 2):S9–S16.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Barreira TV, Schuna JM Jr., Mire EF, Katzmarzyk PT, Chaput JP, Leduc, et al. Identifying children’s nocturnal sleep using 24-h waist accelerometry. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2015;47:937–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Tudor-Locke C, Barreira TV, Schuna JM Jr., Mire EF, Chaput JP, et al. Improving wear time compliance with a 24-hour waist-worn accelerometer protocol in the International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE). Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2015;12:11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Tudor-Locke C, Barreira TV, Schuna JM Jr., Mire EF, Katzmarzyk PT. Fully automated waist-worn accelerometer algorithm for detecting children’s sleep-period time separate from 24-h physical activity or sedentary behaviors. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2014;39:53–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Trost SG, Loprinzi PD, Moore R, Pfeiffer KA. Comparison of accelerometer cut points for predicting activity intensity in youth. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011;43:1360–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Janssen I, Leblanc AG. Systematic review of the health benefits of physical activity and fitness in school-aged children and youth. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2010;7:40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Grontved A, Hu FB. Television viewing and risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis. JAMA. 2011;305:2448–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Thorp AA, Owen N, Neuhaus M, Dunstan DW. Sedentary behaviors and subsequent health outcomes in adults a systematic review of longitudinal studies, 1996-2011. Am J Prev Med. 2011;41:207–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Tremblay MS, LeBlanc AG, Kho ME, Saunders TJ, Larouche R, Colley RC, et al. Systematic review of sedentary behaviour and health indicators in school-aged children and youth. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2011;8:98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Pearson N, Braithwaite RE, Biddle SJ, van Sluijs EM, Atkin AJ. Associations between sedentary behaviour and physical activity in children and adolescents: a meta-analysis. Obes Rev. 2014;15:666–75.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. de Onis M, Onyango AW, Borghi E, Siyam A, Nishida C, Siekmann J. Development of a WHO growth reference for school-aged children and adolescents. Bull World Health Organ. 2007;85:660–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Qiao Y, Ma J, Wang Y, Li W, Katzmarzyk PT, Chaput JP, et al. Birth weight and childhood obesity: a 12-country study. Int J Obes Suppl. 2015;5(Suppl 2):S74–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Currie C, Nic Gabhainn S, Godeau E. The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children: WHO Collaborative Cross-National (HBSC) study: origins, concept, history and development 1982-2008. Int J Public Health. 2009;54(Suppl 2):131–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Mikkila V, Vepsalainen H, Saloheimo T, Gonzalez SA, Meisel JD, Hu G, et al. An international comparison of dietary patterns in 9-11-year-old children. Int J Obes Suppl. 2015;5(Suppl 2):S17–21.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Wong SH, Huang WY, He G. Longitudinal changes in objectively measured physical activity differ for weekdays and weekends among Chinese children in Hong Kong. BMC Public Health. 2015;15:1310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Yen CF, Hsiao RC, Ko CH, Yen JY, Huang CF, Liu SC, et al. The relationships between body mass index and television viewing, internet use and cellular phone use: the moderating effects of socio-demographic characteristics and exercise. Int J Eat Disord. 2010;43:565–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Anderson SE, Economos CD, Must A. Active play and screen time in US children aged 4 to 11 years in relation to sociodemographic and weight status characteristics: a nationally representative cross-sectional analysis. BMC Public Health. 2008;8:366.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Moore JB, Beets MW, Morris SF, Kolbe MB. Day of the week is associated with meeting physical activity recommendations and engaging in excessive sedentary time in youth. J Phys Act Health. 2014;11:971–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Drenowatz C, Gribben N, Wirth MD, Hand GA, Shook RP, Burgess S, et al. The association of physical activity during weekdays and weekend with body composition in young adults. J Obes. 2016;2016:8236439.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Brazendale K, Beets MW, Weaver RG, Pate RR, Turner-McGrievy GM, Kaczynski AT, et al. Understanding differences between summer vs. school obesogenic behaviors of children: the structured days hypothesis. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2017;14:100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

The International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE) was funded by The Coca-Cola Company. Dr. Hu was partly supported by a grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01DK100790) and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (U54GM104940) of the National Institutes of Health. With the exception of requiring that the study be global in nature, the funder had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis and interpretation of the data; and preparation, review or approval of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tianjin Women’s and Children’s Health Center, Tianjin, China

    Nan Li, Pei Zhao, Chengming Diao & Yijuan Qiao

  2. Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

    Peter T. Katzmarzyk & Gang Hu

  3. Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Jean-Philippe Chaput & Mark S. Tremblay

  4. Department of Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Mikael Fogelholm

  5. St. Johns Research Institute, Bangalore, India

    Rebecca Kuriyan & Anura Kurpad

  6. Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

    Estelle V. Lambert

  7. Alliance for Research In Exercise Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia

    Carol Maher & Timothy Olds

  8. CIFI2D, Faculdade de Desporto, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Jose Maia

  9. Center of Studies from the Physical Fitness Research Laboratory, de São Caetano do Sul, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    Victor Matsudo

  10. Department of Recreation Management and Exercise Science, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya

    Vincent Onywera

  11. School of Medicine Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia

    Olga L. Sarmiento

  12. Department for Health, University of Bath, Bath, UK

    Martyn Standage

  13. Department of Kinesiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA

    Catrine Tudor-Locke

Authors
  1. Nan Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Pei Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Chengming Diao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yijuan Qiao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Peter T. Katzmarzyk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Jean-Philippe Chaput
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Mikael Fogelholm
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Rebecca Kuriyan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Anura Kurpad
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Estelle V. Lambert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Carol Maher
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Jose Maia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  13. Victor Matsudo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  14. Timothy Olds
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  15. Vincent Onywera
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  16. Olga L. Sarmiento
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  17. Martyn Standage
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  18. Mark S. Tremblay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  19. Catrine Tudor-Locke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  20. Gang Hu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Consortia

for the ISCOLE Research Group

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gang Hu.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s note: Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Li, N., Zhao, P., Diao, C. et al. Joint associations between weekday and weekend physical activity or sedentary time and childhood obesity. Int J Obes 43, 691–700 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-019-0329-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-019-0329-9

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links