P511 Parental knowledge of physical activity guidelines and levels of physical activity in children

Introduction Childhood obesity is a risk factor for developing metabolic syndromes, with these patients five times as likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to those without metabolic syndromes. Significant contributors to obesity include decreased physical activity, poor diet, and sedentary behaviours, especially television viewing. Current guidelines recommend no more than 2-hours non-educational screen-time per day. Aims Examining parental knowledge regarding exercise guidelines, the portrayal of exercise on television and to ascertain self-reporting of physical activity and any relevant barriers. Methods Cross-sectional survey on parents of children aged 4–16 years old, presenting to University Hospital Limerick, October-April,2018. Surveys regarding television viewing and perceptions of television portrayal of exercise. Data analysed on SPSS. Results Sixty parents completed the surveys and the majority of were aware that 60 minutes is the recommended guideline (50%), despite a wide answer range (20–240 min). Most parents believed dancing was the most common exercise depicted on television (40%). 60% of children met activity guidelines during weekdays, with this increasing to 75% at weekends. Two-thirds of parents surveyed were not concerned regarding their child’s activity levels. Commonly reported barriers to exercise were time involved and cost. Conclusions Results showed parents were aware of physical activity guidelines and of exercise portrayal on television. Self-reporting indicated two-thirds of children were meeting minimum recommended activity guidelines during the week. Results show that despite parental knowledge regarding guidelines, many children do not meet recommendations, which is associated with increased sedentary television viewing. Future work in this area should fully explore mechanisms underpinning reduced activity and relevant interventions.