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Table 5 2020 WHO sedentary behaviour guidelines for children and adolescents (5–17 years)

From: 2020 WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour for children and adolescents aged 5–17 years: summary of the evidence

Sedentary behaviour is defined as time spent sitting or lying with low energy expenditure, while awake, in the context of educational, home, and community settings and transportation.

In children and adolescents, higher amounts of sedentary behaviour are associated with the following poor health outcomes: increased adiposity; poorer cardiometabolic health, fitness, behavioural conduct/pro-social behaviour; and reduced sleep duration.

It is recommended that:

 • Children and adolescents should limit the amount of time spent being sedentary, particularly the amount of recreational screen time.

Strong recommendation, low certainty evidence