Abstract: In order to explore the overall characteristics and hotpots of international physical activity research for children and adolescents, 3211 articles collected in the database of Web of ScienceTM from 1987 to 2017 were analyzed and visually operated through the combination of quantitative and qualitative research. Research shows that the amount of research publications has been increasing year by year, with countries from Europe and America such as the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada having been taking a lead in research orientation. International scientific research cooperation with comparative advantage in information, resource acquisition and sharing among research institutions is gaining momentum Physical activity research for children and adolescents has attracted a stable group of prominent authors, and the amount of outcome can no longer be used as the only indicator to measure the academic contribution of relevant researchers. Publications in Medical and sociological magazines such as Medicine and Exercise Science have high reference value for international physical activity research for children and adolescents. References of the publications are mainly related to rehabilitation medicine, ecology, and psychology. The frontier hots-pots in recent 30 years involve the systematic evaluation of physical activity level and pattern, and physical and mental health promotion, the constraints of children and adolescents' physical activity participation, the relationship of physical activity and sedentary time to cardiovascular diseases, overweight and obesity, the internal correlation of obesity, as well as physical activity measurement and evaluation.

Key words: sedentary behavior, environment, physical activity, children and adolescents, frontier hot-spots