Thesis
24-hour movement behaviours in 3 to 4 year old children in sub-Saharan Africa
- Creator
- Rights statement
- Awarding institution
- University of Strathclyde
- Date of award
- 2026
- Thesis identifier
- T17997
- Person Identifier (Local)
- 201976423
- Qualification Level
- Qualification Name
- Department, School or Faculty
- Abstract
- Tanzania, like other sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, is undergoing rapid urbanisation and economic transition, potentially leading to lifestyle changes such as reduced physical activity, increased sedentary behaviour, and poorer nutritional intake. These shifts elevate the risk of obesity and associated non-communicable diseases (NCDs) both nationally and globally. In response, the World Health Organization’s 2019 global 24-hour movement behaviour guidelines for children under five aimed to promote healthy growth and development and mitigate obesity and NCD risks. However, there remains limited evidence regarding guideline compliance in SSA, particularly in Tanzania, and no studies have explored feasible measurement methods suitable for large scale surveillance. Guided by the Behavioural Epidemiology Framework (BEF), this thesis contributes novel evidence on 24-hour movement behaviours namely physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep among 3–4 year olds in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Chapter 2 presents a systematic review that identified substantial gaps in the existing literature from SSA. To address these gaps, chapter 3 reports findings from the SUNRISE pilot study conducted in Tanzania, which demonstrates the feasibility of employing accelerometers and proxy report questionnaires for large scale data collection. Preliminary results indicate high compliance with physical activity guidelines but lower compliance with sedentary and sleep guidelines, revealing possible disparities between urban and rural settings. Chapter 4 expands on this investigation by examining prevalences and correlates of meeting the 24-hour movement behaviour guidelines including urban rural differences across 10 LMICs. No statistically significant differences were observed in the proportion of children meeting the guidelines between urban and rural settings after controlling for sex, age and socioeconomic status. Collectively, this thesis makes a new and valuable contribution by providing baseline data to inform the development of practical surveillance systems and targeted interventions in Tanzania, with potential applicability to SSA and LMICs more broadly. The evidence generated is useful for informing culturally sensitive strategies designed to promote healthier behaviours and reduce the risk of obesity and NCDs among young children, particularly in the context of ongoing socioeconomic transitions.
- Advisor / supervisor
- Reilly, John
- Resource Type
- DOI
- Embargo Note
Relations
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File | 2026-09-29 | Private |