Association between different types of after-school physical activity and sleep problems among preschool children

ZHANG Lili; MIAO Xueqing; SHEN Yi; FAN Mingyuan; SHI Huijing; HU Yanqi

doi:10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-0117

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Chinese Journal of Child Health Care ›› 2025, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (9) : 944-948. DOI: 10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-0117

Original Articles

Association between different types of after-school physical activity and sleep problems among preschool children

ZHANG Lili^1*, MIAO Xueqing^1*, SHEN Yi¹, FAN Mingyuan², SHI Huijing³, HU Yanqi^1,4

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Abstract

Objective To examine the association between different types of after-school physical activities and sleep problems in preschool children, providing theoretical support for sleep interventions based on exercise modalities. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted.From April to June 2024, a total of 2 683 children from four public kindergartens in Minhang district were enrolled to participate in the survey.Parents were invited to complete the basic sociodemographic information, after-school physical exercise information and the Children′s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ).A total CSHQ score>41 indicated positive for overall sleep problems.Based on the event-group training theory, after-school physical activities were categorized and statistically analyzed. Results Of 2 683 distributed electronic questionnaires, 2 491(92.84%) were completed and 2 460(98.75%)were valid.The mean age was (4.97±0.91) years with a male-to-female ratio of 1.05∶1.The prevalence of overall sleep problems was 82.07%.One-way ANOVA revealed statistically significant differences in bedtime resistance (F=7.98) and sleep anxiety scores (F=5.99) across activity types (P<0.01).After adjusting for age, gender, singleton status, primary caregiver, and parental education/occupation, mixed-effects linear regression showed that participation in multiple types of after-school physical activities was negatively associated with bedtime resistance (β=-0.347, Z=-2.63, 95%CI: -0.605 to -0.088, P=0.008) and sleep anxiety scores (β=-0.241, Z=-2.00, 95%CI: -0.478 to -0.004, P=0.045). Conclusions The variety of after-school physical activities is associated with sleep outcomes in preschool children.Engagement in diverse physical activities serves as a protective factor against bedtime resistance and sleep anxiety.These findings highlight the importance of cultivating varied physical activity habits in preschool children to promote healthy sleep patterns.

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types of exercise / the event-group training theory / after-school physical activity / preschool children / sleep problems

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ZHANG Lili, MIAO Xueqing, SHEN Yi, FAN Mingyuan, SHI Huijing, HU Yanqi. Association between different types of after-school physical activity and sleep problems among preschool children[J]. Chinese Journal of Child Health Care. 2025, 33(9): 944-948 https://doi.org/10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-0117

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