Trends of physical activity and recreational screen time among Chinese children and adolescents: a national study from 2017 to 2019

The prevalence of physical inactivity and sedentary behavior among children and adolescents is a growing public health concern. This study aims to examine the trends in Physical Activity (PA) and Recreational Screen Time (RST) amongst children and adolescents in China, considering variations in genders, school levels, areas (urban versus rural), and regions (north versus south). The findings provide a foundation to guide policy and strategy making for future health promotion and development. An annual national cross-sectional survey was conducted in China from 2017 to 2019 cumulatively involving 52,503 (48