Only 4% of B.C. youth are getting the right amount of exercise, sleep and screen time, study says

A group of teenagers play soccer in this image from Shutterstock.com. (Shutterstock)

The vast majority of British Columbian youth are not getting the recommended amount of sleep, exercise and screen time, which is worsening their mental health, according to new research.

The University of British Columbia study surveyed more than 26,000 children in grades 6 to 8 to find out if they are meeting the 24-hour movement guidelines from the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, which outlines what a healthy day should look like.

For adolescents, the recommendations are at least one hour of physical activity, eight to 10 hours of sleep, and no more than two hours of recreational screen time per day.

Only 14 per cent of youth met the screen time limit, 26 per cent were exercising enough, and 73 per cent were getting a healthy amount of sleep, the study found.

Just four per cent met all three recommendations, and 15 per cent met none of them.

“I was surprised that there are so many children who are not meeting the recommendation of at least one hour of physical activity per day,” lead researcher Dr. Eva Oberle told CTV Morning Live on Tuesday.

“At the same time, we also do know that the activity patterns have shifted over the past decade especially with screens being more common in young people’s lives.”

The study confirmed that youth who meet more of the movement guidelines report higher optimism, greater life satisfaction and fewer symptoms of depression.

Out of exercise, screen time and sleep, getting a good night’s rest had the strongest association with better mental well-being in the research.

However Oberle noted that exercise, screen time and sleep are all interconnected.

“If you’re physically active you will sleep better and if you’re on your screen late that will interfere with sleep,” she said.

There were some differing outcomes for boys and girls in the survey. Girls were more likely to not be exercising for at least an hour a day, while more boys were getting too much screen time.

The study also found that girls experienced greater mental health improvement from meeting the guidelines.

“There are some key differences between girls and boys, so we need to be considering specific interventions that would benefit each group,” Oberle said in a news release accompanying the study.

“We know, for instance, that social media use among girls can have a greater negative impact on mental health, which could be why we’re seeing such notable well-being gains when girls meet the movement guidelines.”

She said encouraging activity is easier than restricting screen time, and kids that participate in activities outside of school naturally spend less time online.

The researchers suggested schools promote more movement by teaching physical education year-round rather than in semester blocks, and offering both structured and unstructured activities after school or during lunch.

“Movement doesn’t have to mean organized sports—it can be as simple as biking around the block, climbing a tree or playing outside,” said co-author Dr. Mariana Brussoni in the release. “The goal is to create an environment where movement naturally fits into daily life, because that will be most sustainable in the long run.”