Early physical activity and sedentary behaviours

Health professionals play a key role in promoting physical activity and limiting sitting and

screen-time behaviour in the early years. When working with parents of young children,

it is important for health professionals to understand the relationship of these behaviours

to health outcomes, what evidence exists around the tracking of these behaviours from

early childhood into childhood and adulthood, and on what evidence current physical

activity and screen-time guidelines are based. This chapter summarises the evidence in

these areas, based on a recent literature search of longitudinal and intervention studies

(up to and including September 2013), and provides advice on promoting health-

enhancing levels of these behaviours.