The 'goldilocks day': The perfect day for kids' bone health

Date:
October 19, 2020
Source:
University of South Australia
Summary:
Not too little, not too much - Goldilocks' 'just right' approach
can now assess children's daily activities as new research confirms
the best make up of a child's day to maximize bone health and
function in children.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
Not too little, not too much -- Goldilocks' 'just right' approach can now assess children's daily activities as new research from the University
of South Australia confirms the best make up of a child's day to maximise
bone health and function in children.


========================================================================== Examining 804 Australian children aged between 11 and 13 years old, the
world- first study found that children need more moderate-to-vigorous
physical activity, more sleep and less sedentary time to optimise
bone health.

The study found the ideal balance of a child's activities across a
24-hour period comprises:
* 1.5 hours of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (sports, running
around)
* 3.4 hours of light physical activity (walking, doing chores) *
8.2 hours of sedentary time (studying, sitting at school, reading)
* 10.9 hours of sleep.

Lead researcher, UniSA's Dr Dot Dumuid say that the findings provide
valuable insights for parents, caregivers and clinicians.

"Children's activities throughout the whole 24-hour day are important
for their bone health, but until now, we haven't known the perfect
combination of exercise, sleep and sedentary time," Dr Dumuid says.

"Higher levels of physical activity are known to be good for children's
bone health, yet we can't just increase children's exercise without
impacting their other activities.



==========================================================================
"In this study, we looked at the interrelating factors of physical
activity (both light, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity),
sedentary time and sleep, finding an ideal combination that delivers
the best daily balance.

"The 'Goldilocks Day' tells us the durations of physical activity, sleep
and sitting that are 'just right' for children's optimal bone health."
"Up to 90 per cent of peak bone mass is achieved by age 18-20, which
makes this especially important during childhood and adolescence.

"Optimising bone health in children is a key protector against
osteoporosis, the leading preventable cause of fracture in adults and a
major public health problem with considerable economic and societal costs.

Osteoporosis is common in Australia, with 1.2 million people estimated
to have the condition and a further 6.3 million with low bone
density. Globally, osteoporosis affects 200 million people, with 75
million cases across Europe, USA and Japan.



==========================================================================
In this study, participants were selected from the Child Health CheckPoint study within the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Activity
data was collected through accelerometer readings (worn for 24 hours a
day over an eight-day period), supplemented by self-recorded logs for
bed and wake times.

Bone measures were recorded via peripheral QCT scans of the leg (ankle
and shin) to identify bone density and geometric parameters.

Dr Dumuid says the study also highlights the importance of sleep,
especially for boys.

"We always talk about getting enough exercise to help build bones,
but for children, it's vital that they also get enough sleep.

"Curiously, the study also showed that sleep is more important for boys'
bone health than for girls, with boys needing an extra 2.4 hours of
sleep a day.

However, boys tended to be at earlier stages of pubertal development
than girls, causing us to speculate that the need for longer sleep is
related to rapidly changing hormonal processes rather than gender.

"By knowing the best balances and interrelations of sleep, exercise and
rest, parents and caregivers can guide their child's daily activities
to put them in good stead for future bone health."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_South_Australia. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Dorothea Dumuid, Peter Simm, Melissa Wake, David Burgner, Markus
Juonala,
Feitong Wu, Costan G Magnussen, Timothy Olds. The "Goldilocks Day"
for Children's Skeletal Health: Compositional Data Analysis of
24‐Hour Activity Behaviors. Journal of Bone and Mineral
Research, 2020; DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.4143 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201019103501.htm

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