# Associations Between Sedentary Behaviour and Fine and Gross Motor Skills in 3‐ to 4‐Year‐Olds: A Secondary Data Analysis From Sunrise International Study Pilot Studies

## TL;DR

This study finds that more screen time is linked to lower motor skills in young children, while following sedentary behavior guidelines helps improve motor development.

## Contribution

The study provides new evidence on sedentary behavior's impact on motor skills in 3- to 4-year-olds from diverse backgrounds.

## Key findings

- Each additional hour of screen time reduces gross motor skills scores by 0.50 points.
- Meeting screen time and sedentary behavior guidelines is associated with better fine and gross motor skills.
- Following sedentary behavior guidelines increases the odds of being on track for motor development.

## Abstract

The evidence on associations between sedentary behaviour (SB) and motor skills in 3‐ to 4‐year‐olds is unclear and mostly from high‐income countries.

The objective of this study is to examine associations between (1) screen time (h/day) and total daily SB (h/day), and gross and fine motor skills, and (2) meeting the restraint, screen time and overall SB (restraint and screen time) guidelines and fine and gross motor skills.

Cross‐sectional study of 1394 3‐ to 4‐year‐olds from the pilot phase of the SUNRISE International study. Time spent in SB was measured using the activPAL accelerometer, whereas screen time and restraint were measured using a parent questionnaire. Fine and gross motor skills were measured using parent‐reported Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ‐3). Associations between SB and motor skills were determined using linear and logistic regression, adjusting for sex and socioeconomic status.

Every additional 1 h of screen time was associated with 0.50‐point reduction in gross motor skills scores (p = 0.008). More screen time was associated with decreased odds of being on track for fine and gross motor skill development (p < 0.001 and p = 0.017, respectively). Meeting the screen time (p = 0.009) and overall SB guidelines (p = 0.006) were favourably associated with fine motor skills scores. Meeting the screen time, restraint and overall SB guidelines were favourably associated with gross motor skills scores (p = 0.007, p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively), higher odds of being on track for fine (p = 0.033, p = 0.015 and p < 0.001, respectively) and gross motor skills (p = 0.006, p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively) development.

The present study adds to the evidence on the importance of sedentary behaviour for the motor development of 3‐ to 4‐year‐olds. It is important that policy makers and health educators develop strategies that will encourage and promote adherence to sedentary behaviour guidelines among 3‐ and 4‐year‐olds.