Associations Between Combinations of 24-Hour Movement Behaviors and Dietary Outcomes in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Background/Objectives: Twenty-four-hour movement behaviors, including physical activity, sedentary time, and sleep, are associated with a range of health outcomes. However, the relationship between the combinations of these behaviors and dietary outcomes in young populations remains unclear. We conducted a systematic review to explore how combined movement behaviors are linked to dietary outcomes in children and adolescents. Methods: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO from January 2017 to July 2024, including studies that were (1) written in English, (2) published in peer-reviewed journals, (3) quantitatively analyzed two or three movement behaviors with dietary outcomes, and (4) focused on populations aged between 0 and 18 years. Results: Ten cross-sectional studies met these criteria. The majority of studies (6 out of 10) assessed all three movement behaviors, although sleep was less frequently examined, appearing in only 4 of the studies. Our findings indicated that adhering to all movement recommendations was consistently associated with healthier dietary patterns, including a higher consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, and cereals, and a lower intake of sweets and pastries. Additionally, adhering to physical activity and sedentary time guidelines was linked to improved dietary habits in children, including more fruit and vegetable intake and less sugary drink and snack consumption. Conversely, higher sedentary time and inadequate sleep were linked to poorer dietary outcomes, particularly lower fruit intake and hydration. Conclusions: This review suggests that meeting movement behavior guidelines correlates with healthier dietary outcomes in children and adolescents. However, given the limited number of studies and their cross-sectional design, further high-quality research, including longitudinal and intervention studies, is needed to clarify causal relationships.