Osteoporosis is common in Australia, with 1.2 million people estimated to have the condition and a further 6.3 million with low bone density. "Optimising bone health in children is a key protector against osteoporosis, the leading preventable cause of fracture in adults and a major public health problem with considerable economic and societal costs. "Up to 90 per cent of peak bone mass is achieved by age 18-20, which makes this especially important during childhood and adolescence. "The 'Goldilocks Day' tells us the durations of physical activity, sleep and sitting that are 'just right' for children's optimal bone health." "In this study, we looked at the interrelating factors of physical activity (both light, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity), sedentary time and sleep, finding an ideal combination that delivers the best daily balance. "Higher levels of physical activity are known to be good for children's bone health, yet we can't just increase children's exercise without impacting their other activities. "Children's activities throughout the whole 24-hour day are important for their bone health, but until now, we haven't known the perfect combination of exercise, sleep and sedentary time," Dr Dumuid says.
Lead researcher, UniSA's Dr Dot Dumuid say that the findings provide valuable insights for parents, caregivers and clinicians. 8.2 hours of sedentary time (studying, sitting at school, reading).3.4 hours of light physical activity (walking, doing chores).1.5 hours of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (sports, running around).The study found the ideal balance of a child's activities across a 24-hour period comprises: Examining 804 Australian children aged between 11 and 13 years old, the world-first study found that children need more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, more sleep and less sedentary time to optimise bone health.
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