# Device-measured physical activity and adiposity in schoolchildren: a 30-week follow-up study

## TL;DR

This study shows that higher daily step counts, especially on weekdays, are linked to lower obesity indicators in children over 30 weeks.

## Contribution

The study provides long-term evidence on the relationship between device-measured physical activity and adiposity in schoolchildren.

## Key findings

- Children took 861 more steps on weekdays than weekends.
- More than 12,000 steps/day and meeting step recommendations reduced adiposity in boys.
- A 1000-step/day increase on weekdays lowered BMI, body fat, and waist circumference.

## Abstract

Physical inactivity is a key risk factor for childhood obesity, but there is a lack of evidence based on long-term assessments examining daily step patterns and their association with adiposity parameters. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to examine the device-measured physical activity patterns during the complete week, weekdays, and weekends over 30 weeks in schoolchildren, and to assess the association of physical activity patterns and adherence to daily steps recommendations with adiposity parameters (body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (BF%), and waist circumference).

We conducted a follow-up study involving 338 children (55% girls, mean age 11.0 years) from six public primary schools in Cuenca, Spain. Daily steps were measured using the Xiaomi Mi Band 3 Smartwatch over 30 weeks. BMI, BF%, and waist circumference were assessed in the final week of follow-up. Analysis of covariance models and restricted cubic splines examined the dose–response relationship between daily steps (complete week, weekdays, and weekends) and adiposity parameters. Multivariate mixed-effect linear analyses examined the associations of 1000 steps/day increment and adiposity parameters.

Children averaged 861 more steps/day on weekdays compared to weekends. We observed an inverse association between daily steps and adiposity parameters, particularly in those who achieved more than 12,000 steps/day and met the daily step recommendations > 40% of the days (p < 0.05), although this was only found in boys. An increase of 1000 steps/day on weekdays was associated with reductions in BMI, BF%, and waist circumference (unstandardised β coefficients were − 0.17, − 0.36, and − 0.59, respectively; p < 0.05). Sensitivity analyses confirmed that longer monitoring periods provided stronger associations between physical activity and adiposity parameters.

Higher levels of daily steps, especially on weekdays, were associated with lower adiposity in childhood.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12916-025-04161-4.