THE ROLE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND LIMITING SCREEN TIME IN PREVENTING OBESITY IN CHILDREN – A LITERATURE REVIEW

Maciej Jakubiec; Emilia Gąsiorowska; Anna Wawrzeczko; Natalia Górska; Angelika Jankowska; Magdalena Gostół; Katarzyna Wójtowicz; Gabriela Deska; Martyna Susek; Amadeusz Furmanek

doi:10.31435/ijitss.1(49).2026.5004

Authors

Maciej Jakubiec Beskidzkie Centrum Onkologii – Municipal Hospital of John Paul II in Bielsko-Biala, Bielsko-Biala, Silesia, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3408-3354
Emilia Gąsiorowska Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński Provincial Specialist Hospital SPZOZ in Lublin, Lublin, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0371-995X
Anna Wawrzeczko Beskidzkie Centrum Onkologii – Municipal Hospital of John Paul II in Bielsko-Biala, Bielsko-Biala, Silesia, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0329-150X
Natalia Górska American Heart of Poland, Ustroń, Silesia, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7511-222X
Angelika Jankowska Independent Public Voivodeship Integrated Hospital in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0003-3002-7028
Magdalena Gostół District Health Center in Otwock, Otwock, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3987-3818
Katarzyna Wójtowicz Dolnośląskie Centrum Onkologii, Pulmonologii i Hematologii, Wrocław, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3349-8610
Gabriela Deska Dolnośląskie Centrum Onkologii, Pulmonologii i Hematologii, Wrocław, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3076-7814
Martyna Susek Beskidzkie Centrum Onkologii – Municipal Hospital of John Paul II in Bielsko-Biala, Bielsko-Biała, Silesia, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0006-7383-8121
Amadeusz Furmanek Provincial Hospital in Bielsko-Biała, Bielsko-Biała, Silesia, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6839-2207

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31435/ijitss.1(49).2026.5004

Keywords:

Childhood Obesity, Physical Activity, Screen Time, Overweight, Prevention

Abstract

Obesity in childhood and adolescence is a serious public health challenge, and its growing prevalence in the population correlates with lifestyle changes, including increased screen time and reduced physical activity. This narrative review synthesizes the results of studies and reports published between 2000 and 2025 that analyze the relationship between physical activity, screen time, and overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. Meta-analyses show that children who use screen devices for more than 2 hours a day have a significantly higher risk of being overweight or obese (Haghjoo et al., 2022). At the same time, regular physical activity counteracts positive energy balance and promotes the maintenance of a healthy body weight. The review also highlights indirect mechanisms—not only reduced energy expenditure, but also a tendency to snack, unhealthy eating habits, and poorer sleep quality, which overall promote the development of obesity. The results suggest that prevention should take a multidimensional approach, including limiting screen time, encouraging daily physical activity, health and nutritional education at school and in the family environment. Such comprehensive measures, taken from early childhood, can contribute to reducing the prevalence of overweight and obesity and limit their long-term health effects among the pediatric population.

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