• A workgroup of healthcare professionals released the first set of integrated guidelines for children and adolescents
• They cover recommended activities over a 24-hour period
• These include physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep and eating habits, and time spent on electronic devices
• The guidelines were formulated based on international evidence and research, as well as studies done here

SINGAPORE — Children and adolescents between the ages of seven and 18 should engage in at least an average of one hour of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily and limit recreational screen time.

These are among a new set of guidelines for children and adolescents in Singapore that recommend activities for them in a 24-hour period and other related advice, covering sleep and eating habits, physical activity and sedentary behaviour.

These complement the national guidelines on physical and sedentary behaviour for children and adolescents that were released in 2013 by the Health Promotion Board.

The new recommendations under the Singapore Integrated 24-hour Activity Guidelines for Children and Adolescents were launched on Friday (Jan 8) by a workgroup comprising healthcare professionals from the integrated platform for research in advancing metabolic health outcomes of women and children, which is led by KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) and the College of Paediatrics and Child Health from the Academy of Medicine Singapore.

Dr Benny Loo Kai Guo, the workgroup’s chairman and paediatrician at KKH, said that they hope to review and update the guidelines as new research surfaces, but have not decided on when there will be subsequent sets in future.

Developed based on recent research on children and adolescents, the guidelines aim to provide a holistic approach towards all types of activity.

They are:

1. Children and adolescents should adopt a lifestyle that integrates regular physical activity, limited sedentary behaviour, adequate sleep and good eating habits within each 24-hour period to maintain physical, mental and social health.

2. Engage in at least an average of one hour of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity in a week such as games, sports or planned exercise.

3. Engage in muscle- and bone-strengthening exercises at least three times a week, which can be part of the daily recommendation of at least one hour of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity.

4. Throughout the day, regularly take part in a variety of light physical activities such as slow walking or taking the stairs.

5. Limit recreational screen time, because children and adolescents who have recreational screen time of more than two hours daily are likely to have adverse health outcomes such as decreased fitness and unfavourable body composition.

6. Include regular breaks of moving around during periods of prolonged sitting or inactivity. These activity breaks can be incorporated into every 30 to 60 minutes of sedentary time.

7. Regularly get sleep of at least nine hours (for seven- to 13-year-olds), eight hours (for 14- to 17-year-olds) and seven hours (for 18-year-olds).

8. Take necessary precautions to ensure safety before, during and after exercise. If you feel unwell, see a doctor.

9. Have regular meals of nutritionally balanced food and drinks to support daily activity and optimise growth, maturation and development.

10. For best results, aim to achieve most or all recommendations on physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep and diet.

The full set of guidelines can be accessed on the website of the Academy of Medicine Singapore. 

HARD COPIES TO BE DISTRIBUTED AT SOME VENUES  

KKH intends to distribute the guidelines to caregivers of patients from seven to 18 years of age at select specialist outpatient clinics. 

It will also disseminate hard copies of the guidelines at polyclinics via leaflets, which will be ready in one to two months. 

Dr Benny Loo Kai Guo, workgroup chairman and paediatrician at KKH, said that the workgroup hopes to educate the public by partnering with relevant organisations such as the Singapore Medical Association and Sports Medicine Association.

“We’re casting our net as wide as we can to reach out to the wider community,” he said.

Separately in November last year, KKH conducted a survey to better understand children's lifestyle habits in Singapore. It showed that 43 per cent of children aged between five and 14 here do not engage in any vigorous physical activity, and one-fifth do not meet the recommended sleep requirements on weekdays.

The survey also showed that 70 per cent of parents were concerned about their child’s screen time and 30 per cent believe that their child does not get enough exercise or sleep.

Parents such as educator Mislia Supar, 45, believe that the guidelines will help their children inculcate healthy habits.

“It’s a good reminder to myself that this is what I should do,” the mother-of-three said. She has a son aged 11 and two daughters aged 10 and six.

The main challenge, she confessed, is managing screen time, because it is difficult to find a balance in controlling the time for e-learning and recreation.

She plans to start by encouraging her children to take the stairs instead of the lift.

“I will try to incorporate (the recommendations) slowly, step by step.”