24-hour movement behaviours and self-rated health in Chinese adolescents: a questionnaire-based survey in Eastern China

OBJECTIVE: Although much evidence has demonstrated the benefits of adhering to the 24-hour movement guidelines, little is known about their association with self-rated health in adolescents. The objective of this study was to explore the association between adherence to the 24-hour movement guidelines (i.e., physical activity, screen time, and sleep) and self-rated health among Chinese adolescents aged 10–17 ages. METHODS: A convenient sample of 12 schools and their students were recruited for this cross-sectional study. Physical activity and screen time were assessed using a questionnaire based on the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children questionnaire, while sleep duration was used measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Scale. Ordinal logistic regression was performed to examine the association between adherence to the 24-hour movement guidelines and self-rated health. RESULTS: Adolescents who adhered to more guidelines contained in the 24-hour movement guidelines reported better self-rated health. A dose-response association was observed, with the odds ratio (OR) for adhering to all three = 11.26, 95% CI [4.82–26.35]; OR for meeting two = 1.62, 95% CI [1.25–2.12]; OR for meeting one = 1.16, 95% CI [0.98–1.38]) indicating a higher probability of better self-rated health with increasing adherence. Regarding adherence to specific combination of 24-hour movement guidelines, positive associations were found for adhering to all three recommendations (OR = 11.95, 95% CI [5.06–28.19]), only MVPA (OR = 4.96, 95% CI [2.82–8.72]), MVPA + screen time (OR = 5.50, 95% CI [3.02–9.99]), and MVPA + sleep (OR = 4.63, 95% CI [2.52–8.51]). CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence supporting the association between adherence to the 24-hour movement guidelines and better self-rated health among Chinese adolescents. Sufficient physical activity may be particularly important for promoting self-rated health in this population.