About this Research Topic
The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity has increased worldwide in recent decades. Childhood obesity is associated with serious health problems and the risk of premature illness and death later in life. In addition, there is a growing concern over the effects of sedentary lifestyles on young people’s health. Low physical activity and sedentary behaviour are associated with metabolic and mental health during childhood and adolescence.
Parallel to obesity and low physical activity in children and adolescents, excessive use of the virtual space — including increased screen time activity or internet and smartphone addiction— is among the most important health-threatening factors for children and adolescents.
The guidelines recommend that, during a day, children accumulate at least 180 min physical activity – of which at least 60 min should be at moderate- to vigorous intensity and engage in no more than one hour of screen time activity.
However, the restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in changes to young children’s daily routines and habits. In most nations, physical distancing measures and requirements to remain at home placed unprecedented restrictions on children’s ability to be active. This departure from normality led to a dramatic shift in daily routines — as many societies suddenly found themselves working from home, home-schooling their children and avoiding unnecessary trips outside their homes.
Furthermore, during the COVID-19 pandemic, factors such as conducting education online, curfew and the increase in the monotonous time spent at home have led to an increase in the use of smartphones, the internet and virtual space among adolescents.
Robust evidence shows that, during covid-19 pandemic, our children have become more obese, have been less physically active, have had more screen time activity and have had poorer sleep quality.
Since many healthy and unhealthy habits are formed during childhood and adolescence, and many of these habits are irreversible, the need for actions at the family, community, school or university levels to prevent/reduce complications caused by restrictions in communities due to some future possible period effects seems necessary.
In this Research Topic, we welcome recent qualitative/quantitative findings focusing on interventions at the community, home, school or university level to reduce unhealthy/bad behaviour (sedentary behaviour, high screen time activity, overuse of the internet and virtual space) and improve healthy/good habits (involving in physical activity, adopting a healthy diet, fruits and vegetable intake) in children and adolescents and their families during restrictive conditions such as lock-downs.
This Research Topic welcomes original research, reviews, opinions and perspective manuscripts related to interventions to Prevent or Reduce Unhealthy Habits in Children and Adolescents during Restricted Conditions.
Parallel to obesity and low physical activity in children and adolescents, excessive use of the virtual space — including increased screen time activity or internet and smartphone addiction— is among the most important health-threatening factors for children and adolescents.
The guidelines recommend that, during a day, children accumulate at least 180 min physical activity – of which at least 60 min should be at moderate- to vigorous intensity and engage in no more than one hour of screen time activity.
However, the restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in changes to young children’s daily routines and habits. In most nations, physical distancing measures and requirements to remain at home placed unprecedented restrictions on children’s ability to be active. This departure from normality led to a dramatic shift in daily routines — as many societies suddenly found themselves working from home, home-schooling their children and avoiding unnecessary trips outside their homes.
Furthermore, during the COVID-19 pandemic, factors such as conducting education online, curfew and the increase in the monotonous time spent at home have led to an increase in the use of smartphones, the internet and virtual space among adolescents.
Robust evidence shows that, during covid-19 pandemic, our children have become more obese, have been less physically active, have had more screen time activity and have had poorer sleep quality.
Since many healthy and unhealthy habits are formed during childhood and adolescence, and many of these habits are irreversible, the need for actions at the family, community, school or university levels to prevent/reduce complications caused by restrictions in communities due to some future possible period effects seems necessary.
In this Research Topic, we welcome recent qualitative/quantitative findings focusing on interventions at the community, home, school or university level to reduce unhealthy/bad behaviour (sedentary behaviour, high screen time activity, overuse of the internet and virtual space) and improve healthy/good habits (involving in physical activity, adopting a healthy diet, fruits and vegetable intake) in children and adolescents and their families during restrictive conditions such as lock-downs.
This Research Topic welcomes original research, reviews, opinions and perspective manuscripts related to interventions to Prevent or Reduce Unhealthy Habits in Children and Adolescents during Restricted Conditions.
Keywords: community interventions, school interventions, healthy habits, physical activity, decreasing obesity, decreasing screen time
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
