Physical Activity and Daily Routine among Children Aged 0–12 during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain

Cachón-Zagalaz, Javier; Zagalaz-Sánchez, M.ª Luisa; Arufe-Giráldez, Víctor; Sanmiguel-Rodríguez, Alberto; González-Valero, Gabriel

doi:10.3390/ijerph18020703

Open AccessArticle

Physical Activity and Daily Routine among Children Aged 0–12 during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain

by

Javier Cachón-Zagalaz

¹

,

M.ª Luisa Zagalaz-Sánchez

¹

,

Víctor Arufe-Giráldez

²

,

Alberto Sanmiguel-Rodríguez

^3,4

and

Gabriel González-Valero

^1,*

¹

Department of Didactics of Musical, Plastic and Body Expression, Faculty of Humanities and Educational Sciences, University of Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain

²

Specific Didactics Department, Research and Diagnostic Methods in Education, Education Faculty, University of a Coruña, 15001 Coruña, Spain

³

Faculty of Language and Education, University of Antonio de Nebrija, 28015 Madrid, Spain

⁴

Faculty of Language and Education, University of Camilo José Cela, 28692 Madrid, Spain

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(2), 703; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020703

Submission received: 1 October 2020 / Revised: 4 January 2021 / Accepted: 12 January 2021 / Published: 15 January 2021

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity in Childhood and Adolescence)

Download Versions Notes

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of many people. Objective: The aim of the present study was to analyse the physical activity (PA) and daily routine among children (0–12 years) during lockdown and to establish the main relationships among the variables. Methods: A quantitative study with a descriptive–comparative and cross-sectional design carried out. The sample, selected for convenience, consisted of 837 Spanish children aged 0–12. The “Children and confinement” questionnaire was used, distributed electronically through Google Forms and social networks and activated for 45 days. The individuals participating in this study were mainly children (50.2%) who were in primary education (44.8%). Predominantly, the families of participants were biparental (87.9%), with established routines and schedules (85.7%). Results and conclusions: The use of digital screens is an important part of children’s daily routine. Their daily activities were practiced for more than three–six years, with more by girls. The time children devoted to sleep was directly proportional to the time they devoted to physical activity and indirectly proportional to the time they spent watching screens. The children who slept the most were those aged zero–three years, especially girls, who belonged to large families. The levels of physical activity in the sample were low, as were the times spent on activities such as music or games.

Keywords: COVID-19; children; lockdown; physical activity; daily activities

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Cachón-Zagalaz, J.; Zagalaz-Sánchez, M.L.; Arufe-Giráldez, V.; Sanmiguel-Rodríguez, A.; González-Valero, G. Physical Activity and Daily Routine among Children Aged 0–12 during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 703. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020703

AMA Style

Cachón-Zagalaz J, Zagalaz-Sánchez ML, Arufe-Giráldez V, Sanmiguel-Rodríguez A, González-Valero G. Physical Activity and Daily Routine among Children Aged 0–12 during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(2):703. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020703

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cachón-Zagalaz, Javier, M.ª Luisa Zagalaz-Sánchez, Víctor Arufe-Giráldez, Alberto Sanmiguel-Rodríguez, and Gabriel González-Valero. 2021. "Physical Activity and Daily Routine among Children Aged 0–12 during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 2: 703. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020703

APA Style

Cachón-Zagalaz, J., Zagalaz-Sánchez, M. L., Arufe-Giráldez, V., Sanmiguel-Rodríguez, A., & González-Valero, G. (2021). Physical Activity and Daily Routine among Children Aged 0–12 during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2), 703. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020703

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Menu

Physical Activity and Daily Routine among Children Aged 0–12 during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain

Abstract

Share and Cite

Article Metrics

Article Access Statistics

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI