Children living in North and South American countries, including the United States, are the unhealthiest kids in the world.
A new study analyzed data from 33 countries. Specifically, the study examined which country had the highest and lowest proportion of children aged three to five getting enough exercise, sleep, and time away from screens and mobile devices.
The study was published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.
Specific Findings
The analysis found that children living in the Americas were the unhealthiest, with only one in 10 children getting enough physical activity, rest, and breaks from watching television or using mobile phones.
Children in the Americas---which covers countries in North and South America---had the longest sedentary time. This means they sat still for the longest period and likely spent those hours watching television or using mobile phones. Only 17% of children in the Americas took enough breaks from screen time.
Coming second as the countries with the unhealthiest children were those in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia and Thailand, where only 9.1% of children had enough exercise and sleep. Third on the list were children in Western Pacific countries, including Australia and New Zealand.
In comparison, children in Africa were the healthiest, with 23.9% of children getting their recommended physical activity and screen breaks. Europe came second at 23.5%.
Globally, only 14.3% of children met all three recommendations.
It is important to note that the study did not look at the individual results of each country. However, a separate study from the World Health Organization (WHO) published earlier this year found that children in Britain were lagging the most when it comes to physical activity.
What Are the Recommendations
For screen time, WHO experts recommend only one hour per day for young children aged two to five, ideally with guidance from a parent or a caregiver. Children within this age group should also have between 10 to 13 hours of sleep daily.
When it comes to exercise, kids should have at least three hours of physical activity. This includes one hour of running.
