Associations Between 24-h Movement Behaviors and Executive Function in Chinese Children: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on Compositional Data Analysis

Executive function (EF)—higher-order cognitive control processes (inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility)—is related to, yet distinct from, general cognitive ability. EF develops rapidly in childhood and is sensitive to daily movement behaviors; compositional evidence from Chinese school-aged children is scarce. In 441 Chinese children aged 6–8 years (five regions; 252 boys, 189 girls), we examined cross-sectional associations of 24-h movement behaviors with EF—assessed via the Stroop, Corsi block-tapping, and Wisconsin Card Sorting tasks—and quantified expected EF changes under isotemporal substitutions involving moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Wrist-worn accelerometers measured the behaviors over 7 days. Compositional isometric log-ratio regression and 15 min substitution models, adjusted for sex, age, school, and anthropometrics, showed that relative to other behaviors, greater MVPA was associated with higher forward recall and fewer perseverative responses. Reallocating 15 min/day to MVPA from SB, LPA, or SLP was associated with fewer perseverative responses (B = −0.60 to −0.82; robust to outcome-stratified multiple comparison correction) and, in the LPA and SLP pairs, with higher forward recall (B = 0.16–0.22; not robust to correction). MVPA was the movement behavior component most consistently associated with executive function; reallocating time from SB, LPA, or SLP to MVPA may be associated with fewer perseverative responses.