Prevalence of insufficient outdoor activity and caregiver-related correlates among school-aged children in Beijing, China: a cross-sectional analysis

Background Daily outdoor activity time among school-age children worldwide is on a downward trend. This study updated the daily outdoor activity status of Chinese school-age children and analyzed the factors associated with insufficient outdoor activity among school-age children. Methods This study utilized baseline data from a sugar-sweetened beverage consumption behavior cohort conducted among primary and secondary schools in Beijing, China. The baseline survey was conducted from October to November 2024, and 3,370 school-age children with complete data related to outdoor activity were included in the analysis. Binary logistic regression model was used to analyze the main factors associated with insufficient outdoor activity among school-age children. Results The overall prevalence of insufficient outdoor activity was 82.9% among Beijing school-aged children (< 2 h/day).Residential location, grade, weight status, pre-activity beverage consumption patterns, and caregivers' daily outdoor activity duration were closely correlated with inadequate outdoor activity, with notable heterogeneity observed across residential area, gender and grade subgroups. Caregivers' limited outdoor activity participation emerged as the most stable correlate across all stratifications. Conclusion This study reveals a high prevalence of insufficient outdoor activity among Beijing schoolchildren and identifies distinct population-specific associated factors. The findings provide empirical evidence for developing targeted subgroup interventions and optimizing family–school collaborative strategies to improve outdoor activity levels and promote long-term health among urban school-aged children.