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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
The duration of physical activity and nighttime sleep in the daily routine of a modern schoolchild
Novosibirsk Research Institute of Hygiene of Rospotrebnadzor, Novosibirsk, Russia
Correspondence should be addressed: Nina A. Zubtsovskaya
Parkhomenko, 7, Novosibirsk, 630108, Russia; us.giin@an_ayaksvostbuz
Author contribution: Novikova II — study planning, manuscript editing; Zubtsovskaya NA — data analysis, interpretation, literary review, manuscript authoring.
Compliance with ethical standards: the study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Novosibirsk Research Institute of Hygiene of Rospotrebnadzor (protocol No. 1 of January 11, 2024); all participants submitted the signed informed consent forms.
Both in Russia and abroad, physical activity, screen time, and nighttime sleep are considered important and controllable daily routine factors that influence a schoolchild's general physical and mental state and health. This study aimed to explore the specifics of the daily routine of schoolchildren living in different regions of the Russian Federation (RF). We analyzed data collected by surveying schoolchildren and their parents in the context of implementation of the "Strengthening Public Health" Federal Project in 2023-2024; the data the described durations of some regular activities in the daily routines of the 2nd, 5th, and 10th grade schoolchildren living in the Russian Federation (n = 254,881). Russian schoolchildren are in school for an average of 5-7 hours every day (86.3% [95% CI: 86.2–86.4]). The proportion of children who comply with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) and engage in physical activity for at least 60 minutes per day was 58.5% [95% CI: 58.3–58.7]. It was established that the share of children practicing physical activity in sufficient amounts decreases with progression through the grades. For a significant proportion of children, the duration of their nighttime sleep is insufficient (86% [95% CI: 85.78–86.22] of 2nd grade schoolchildren, 23.3% [95% CI: 23.14-23.58] of fifth graders, and 49.2% [95% CI: 48.8–49.6] of 10th grade schoolchildren). The analysis allowed identifying the regions of the Russian Federation where the greatest shares of children whose daily routines are inadequate. Thus, it can be noted that, despite an average workload at school, a significant number of Russian schoolchildren do not use their free time optimally in terms of physical activity and adequate sleep.
Keywords: physical activity, survey, schoolchildren's daily routine, nighttime sleep duration