No abstract

OBJECTIVEThe relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) is well known, although the extent to which body weight may act as a confounder or mediator in this relationship is uncertain. The aim of this study was to examine whether the association between CRF and cardiometabolic risk factors is mediated by BMI. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSA cross-sectional study including 1,158 schoolchildren aged 8-11 years from the province of Cuenca, Spain, was undertaken. We measured height, weight, waist circumference (WC), blood pressure, fasting plasma lipid profile and insulin, and CRF (20-m shuttle run test). A validated cardiometabolic risk index was estimated by summing standardized z scores of WC, log triglyceride-to-HDL cholesterol ratio (TG/HDL-c), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and log fasting insulin. To assess whether the association between CRF and cardiometabolic risk was mediated by BMI, linear regression models were fitted according to Baron and Kenny procedures for mediation analysis. RESULTSIn girls, BMI acts as a full mediator in the relationship between CRF and cardiometabolic risk factors, with the exception of log TG/HDL-c ratio. In boys, BMI acts as a full mediator in the relationship between CRF and both log TG/HDL-c ratio and MAP, and as a partial mediator in the relationship between CRF and cardiometabolic risk factors. CONCLUSIONSBMI mediates the association between CRF and MetS in schoolchildren. Overall, good levels of CRF are associated with lower cardiometabolic risk, particularly when accompanied by weight reduction.

BackgroundStudies that have examined the impact of a physical activity intervention on cardiometabolic risk factors have yielded conflicting results. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of a standardized physical activity program on adiposity and cardiometabolic risk factors in schoolchildren.MethodsCluster randomized trial study of 712 schoolchildren, 8–10 years, from 20 public schools in the Province of Cuenca, Spain. The intervention (MOVI-2) consisted of play-based and non-competitive activities. MOVI-2 was conducted during two 90-minute sessions on weekdays and one 150-minute session on Saturday mornings every week between September 2010 and May 2011. We measured changes in adiposity (overweight/obesity prevalence, body mass index [BMI], triceps skinfold thickness [TST], body fat %, fat-free mass, waist circumference) and other cardiometabolic risk factors (LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides/HDL-cholesterol ratio, insulin, C-reactive protein and blood pressure). The analyses used mixed regression models to adjust for baseline covariates under cluster randomization.ResultsAmong girls, we found a reduction of adiposity in intervention versus control schools, with a decrease in TST (−1.1 mm; 95% confidence interval [CI] -2.3 to −0.7), body fat % (−0.9%; 95% CI −1.3 to −0.4), waist circumference (−2.7 cm; 95% CI −4.5 to −0.9), and an increase in fat-free mass (0.3 kg; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.6). The intervention also led to lower serum LDL-cholesterol and insulin levels. Among boys, a reduction in waist circumference (−1.4 cm; 95% CI −2.6 to −0.1; P = 0.03), and an increase in fat-free mass (0.5 kg; 95% CI 0.2 to 0.9; P = 0.003) was associated with the intervention versus control schools. The prevalence of overweight/obesity or underweight, BMI, and other cardiometabolic risk factors was not modified by the intervention. No important adverse events were registered.ConclusionsAn extracurricular intervention of non-competitive physical activity during an academic year, targeting all schoolchildren regardless of body weight, is a safe and effective measure to reduce adiposity in both genders and to improve cardiometabolic risk profile in girls.Trial registrationClinical trials NCT01277224.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12966-014-0154-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

This study aimed to analyse the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and fatness and fitness in preschoolers. 2,638 preschoolers (3-5 years old; 47.2% girls) participated. SES was estimated from the parental educational and occupational levels, and the marital status. Fatness was assessed by body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). Physical fitness components were assessed using the PREFIT battery. Preschoolers whose parents had higher educational levels had lower fatness (P < 0.05). BMI significantly differed across occupational levels of each parent (P < 0.05) and WHtR across paternal levels (P = 0.004). Musculoskeletal fitness was different across any SES factor (P < 0.05), except handgrip across paternal occupational levels (P ≥ 0.05). Preschoolers with high paternal occupation had higher speed/agility (P = 0.005), and those with high or low maternal education had higher VO 2 max (P = 0.046). Odds of being obese and having low musculoskeletal fitness was lower as SES was higher (P < 0.05). Those with married parents had higher cardiorespiratory fitness than single-parent ones (P = 0.010). School-based interventions should be aware of that children with low SES are at a higher risk of obesity and low fitness already in the first years of life.

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