# Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between sleep, sedentary behaviour and physical activity with adiposity and cardio-respiratory fitness in school-aged children: a compositional data analysis

## TL;DR

This study examines how time spent on sleep, sedentary behavior, and physical activity affects children's weight and fitness, finding that moderate-to-vigorous activity is most beneficial.

## Contribution

The study uses compositional data analysis to explore how reallocating time between activities affects health outcomes in children.

## Key findings

- Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is favorably associated with lower adiposity and better fitness in children.
- Longitudinal analysis shows that increasing MVPA reduces body fat and improves cardio-respiratory fitness over time.
- Vigorous physical activity (VPA) is particularly effective in improving health outcomes compared to other behaviors.

## Abstract

Time spent in sleep, sedentary behaviour (SB), light physical activity (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) all impact child health. The aim of this study was to investigate cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between time use and adiposity and cardio-respiratory fitness (CRF) in school-aged children.

Cross-sectional (n = 281) and longitudinal (n = 305) data were used from the Life on Holidays study with assessments over three time periods (two consecutive school years, and the interleaving summer holiday period). 24-h time use was measured using wrist-worn accelerometers. Adiposity was assessed as BMI z-score from measured weight and height, using World Health Organization reference data, and from body fat percentage (%BF) measured via bioelectrical impedance. CRF was operationalised as estimated VO2max from the 20-m shuttle run test. Compositional data analysis in conjunction with linear mixed-effects models was used to investigate the associations between time-use composition and outcomes after controlling for covariates. Cross-sectional models used baseline measures, and longitudinal models used rates of change in each outcome. Sensitivity analyses explored relationships for moderate physical activity (MPA) and vigorous physical activity (VPA) separately.

In cross-sectional analyses, time spent in MVPA was favourably associated with all adiposity and fitness outcomes (all p < 0.01) whereas time in LPA was unfavourably associated with all outcomes (all p < 0.01). Sleep was favourably associated with %BF, whereas SB was unfavourably associated (both p = 0.02). In longitudinal models, only MVPA was significantly associated with any of the three outcomes. 30 min/day more time spent in MVPA was associated with a decrease in %BF rate of change (-0.60 to -0.48) when time was reallocated from LPA or SB, and with an increase in VO2max (+ 0.89 to + 1.01) when time was reallocated from any other behaviour. Sensitivity analyses showed VPA was significantly associated with changes in %BF and VO2max.

All behaviours displayed cross-sectional associations with adiposity and CRF. However, only MVPA (and in particular VPA) was significantly associated with changes in %BF or VO2max in longitudinal models. Future efforts should focus on increasing participation in MVPA with school-aged children to see the most benefit to health.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s44167-025-00082-y.