ParticipACTION Early Years Report Card for children aged 0-4
This week, Helix is highlighting the recently-released ParticipACTION Early Years Report Card for children aged 0-4.
The ParticipACTION Early Years Report Card is the first of its kind in Canada. Focusing solely on children aged 0-4, the report examines physical activity, sleep and screen time.
Positive findings
- 67% of children aged 0-4 meet the physical activity recommendations.
- 80% of children aged 0-4 meet sleep guidelines.
Areas of concern
- Only 48% of our youngest Canadians meet screen time recommendations.
- It is not recommended that children under 2 years-old receive any daily screen time.
- A maximum daily screen time of 1 hr is recommended for children aged 2-4.
- Only 25% of Canadian children aged 0-4 meet all three 24-hour movement behaviour guidelines (physical activity, screen time and sleep).
Young children and screen time
Many organizations, including the Canadian Psychological Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics also recommend no screen time for children under 18-24 months.
- One exception to these recommendations is live video calling, which, in moderation, is acceptable if it involves real-time, meaningful social interactions.
According to another landmark study from the 1001 Critical Days Foundation, screen time for those under 2 years-old has been associated with long-term negative effects. These effects, broadly, include health, developmental and quality of life concerns. More specifically, the study found that screen use at an early age may increase overstimulation, difficulty sleeping, poor eye health and childhood obesity.
Further reading
Helix recently explored the Lancet Screen Time Study, which echoes many of the above findings, in a previous blog post.
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