Evolving disparities in exercise-related physical activity among Chinese children and adolescents: evidence from a national repeated cross-sectional analysis, 2014–2022
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: Global studies show low levels of physical activity (PA) among children and adolescents, yet evidence on long-term national trends and subgroup disparities in China is limited. This study examined exercise-related PA trends among Chinese children and adolescents from 2014 to 2022 and explored temporal changes in subgroup disparities. Methods: A national repeated cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from five waves (2014-2022) of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), including 16,223 observations from 7,982 children and adolescents aged 10-18 years. Exercise-related PA time was assessed using self-reported frequency and duration; ≥60 min/day was an exploratory threshold, not WHO guideline adherence. Survey-weighted descriptive statistics, categorical-wave comparisons, interaction tests, and age-adjusted logistic regression models examined overall trends and disparities by school level, gender, income, urban-rural residence, and region. Results: Between 2014 and 2018, unadjusted weighted average daily PA time among Chinese children and adolescents increased by 3.0 min/day (95% CI, 0.1, 6.0), although this small difference was not robust in sensitivity analyses. From 2020 to 2022, PA increased by 10.2 min/day (95% CI, 7.5, 12.9). Gender-based differences in PA remained consistently significant throughout, with boys being more active than girls. Gender differences varied by wave; regional variation was less consistent in sensitivity analyses. The primary analysis did not support changing disparities by school level, urban-rural residence, or income. Males, children from higher-income families, and urban residents had higher adjusted odds of reporting ≥60 min/day of exercise-related PA. Conclusion: Exercise-related PA among Chinese children and adolescents increased between 2020 and 2022. The questionnaire change in 2020 limits interpretation of the 2018-2020 difference. Targeted policies should continue to promote PA, especially for children from low-income families. Efforts should also consider demographic-specific strategies to address persistent inequalities in PA participation.
Source: Frontiers in Public Health
Language: English
Topic: Physical Activity and Health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7221807633