Child monitor Sint Maarten
Health of children at Sint Maarten aged 4-12
Samenvatting
The Mulier Institute researched the lifestyle behaviours of children aged 4–12 on Sint Maarten, in support of school-based health programs aimed at preventing overweight and obesity. Sixteen primary schools were included in the study.
Using a questionnaire distributed to parents (47% response rate, 1,873 responses), the study examined sleep, nutrition, oral hygiene, exercise, screen time, and school health.
Most important results:
- Sleep: 25 percent of children sleep 9-12 hours per night, 73 percent sleep 6-9 hours, and 2 percent sleep less than 6 hours. 9-12 hours is recommended by the WHO.
- Nutrition: 53 percent of children drink four more glasses of water a day, which is the recommended amount by the WHO. 79 percent eat breakfast every day. 35 percent eat fruit daily, and 21 percent eat vegetables daily. Children in lower grades eat fruit more frequently, while those in higher grades eat vegetables more often.
- Oral hygiene: 71 percent of children brush their teeth at least twice a day, with children in higher grades brushing their teeth more frequently.
- Exercise: 58 percent of children participate in organized sports. 21 percent play outside almost every day, with younger children playing outside more frequently. 74 percent of children go to school by car, 9 percent walk.
- Screen time: on average, children have 3 hours of screen time per day.
- Health at school and after school care: 61 percent of parents think school should address exercise. 57 percent think after-school care should focus on healthy nutrition.
Literatuurverwijzing: Heerschop, M., & Derix, N. (2025). Child monitor Sint Maarten: health of children at Sint Maarten aged 4-12. Utrecht: Mulier Instituut.