Everyday Habits and Wellbeing in Children and Young People: Findings from a Community Service Evaluation

Abstract

Background: Evening screen use, sleep, physical activity and outdoor time form part of the everyday routines through which children and young people organise rest, leisure, movement and participation. This exploratory service evaluation described patterns across these factors, examined their relationships, and identified locally relevant implications for community wellbeing activity.

Methods: An anonymous, voluntary cross-sectional survey was conducted by a UK community wellbeing organisation in May 2026. Fifty-one valid responses from children and young people aged 8–25 years were analysed. The survey covered evening screen use, bedtime, sleep duration and quality, physical activity, outdoor time and mood. Associations and group differences were examined using non-parametric tests.

Findings: Higher evening screen use was significantly associated with poorer sleep quality (rₛ = −0.436, p = .002) and later bedtime (rₛ = 0.407, p = .004). Older age was strongly associated with later bedtimes (rₛ = 0.659, p < .001) and shorter sleep (rₛ = −0.560, p < .001). Higher physical activity was associated with better mood on outdoor days (rₛ = 0.453, p = .001). Most participants reported better sleep after outdoor days. However, mood did not differ significantly between outdoor and indoor days in the paired comparison.

Conclusion and implications: The findings suggest that screen use, sleep, movement and outdoor time are better understood as interconnected everyday occupations and routines rather than isolated health behaviours. Although exploratory, the results may inform occupation-focused community wellbeing work, school-facing discussions and future service development.