Trends in adherence to the 24‐h movement guidelines among US adolescents from 2011 to 2019: Evidence from repeated cross‐sectional cycles of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System

Abstract

BackgroundAdherence to the 24‐h movement guidelines is associated with various health benefits, but given the novelty of these integrative recommendations, little is known about year‐to‐year trends in guideline adherence in adolescents. This study investigated trends of adherence to the 24‐h movement guidelines among US adolescents.MethodsData from 2011 to 2019 cycles of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System were used, which included 62 589 US adolescents aged 14–17 years (female: unweighted sample size = 31 876, 51%; weighted% = 50.1%). Participants self‐reported their demographic information (i.e., sex, age, race/ethnicity), physical activity, screen time and sleep duration. Meeting the 24‐h movement guidelines was operationalized as simultaneously engaging in 60 min or more of moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity, no more than 2 h of screen time, and 8–10 h of sleep per day. Trend analysis was used to examine the secular changes in adherence to the integrated guidelines from 2011 to 2019.ResultsDownward trends in adherence to the 24‐h movement guidelines were observed among adolescents from 2011 (3.6%) to 2019 (2.6%). After stratification by sex, age, and race/ethnicity, similar downward trends in the guideline adherence were observed in females and Black/African American adolescents. The lowest prevalence of meeting the individual guidelines was for the PA guidelines (25.6%). Movement guideline adherence was consistently lowest among females, older adolescents, and those who identified as Black/African American.ConclusionsAdherence to the 24‐h movement guidelines has declined among US adolescents over the past decade. Interventions should prioritize an integrative approach that could increase concurrent adherence to each of the 24‐h movement guideline, particularly among female, older and minority adolescents.