Associations between physical activity, body composition, and physical fitness in the transition from preschool to school

Abstract

Physical activity (PA) and physical fitness are essential for normal growth, development and general health in childhood, and are important mediators of the enhancement of health-related quality of life and cognition. 1 Childhood obesity is increasing in prevalence all over the world, 2 and as related to accompanying psychological and cardiorespiratory complications, has become a major health, psychosocial, and economic concern. 3 It has been proposed that a high level of physical fitness in childhood and adolescence is associated with lower risks of future overweight, fatness, and metabolic syndrome. 4 Physical fitness has been considered to counteract some of the adverse effects of adiposity on health. 5 Observing associations of PA and physical fitness with body composition during childhood would explain the determinants of PA and physical fitness in preadolescence. Accompanying the transition from early to middle childhood are substantial changes in children's educational and recreational circumstances which may affect PA levels. 6,7 It is likely that the preschool environment influences the

24‐hour movement behaviors and fitness in preschoolers: A compositional and isotemporal reallocation analysis

“…Indeed, CRF improvements throughout life are essential, and especially in youth, CRF may be associated with maintaining health parameters in later life 28 . In a longitudinal study assessing the associations between PA and fitness in the transition from preschool to school, Reisberg et al 29 reported that VPA at 6.6 years was positively associated with CRF at 7.6 years, whilst greater baseline VPA or MVPA predicted greater upper body strength a year later. Our results are concordant with Reisberg et al, 29 such that, for CRF, increasing MVPA, at the expense of any non‐active behavior (SB and sleep), yielded significant and positive outcomes.…”

“…In a longitudinal study assessing the associations between PA and fitness in the transition from preschool to school, Reisberg et al 29 reported that VPA at 6.6 years was positively associated with CRF at 7.6 years, whilst greater baseline VPA or MVPA predicted greater upper body strength a year later. Our results are concordant with Reisberg et al, 29 such that, for CRF, increasing MVPA, at the expense of any non‐active behavior (SB and sleep), yielded significant and positive outcomes. Indeed, from an ecological point of view, CRF will likely be engaged in during games/play.…”

Pubertal Physical Activity and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Relation to Late Adolescent Body Fatness in Boys: A 6-Year Follow-Up Study

“…The standard subject positioning was used for total body measurements, and participants were scanned in light clothing while lying flat on the back, with arms at the sides [ 25 ]. As the significance of the BMI is not clear as body mass is composed of two distinct components (i.e., FFM and FM), FFM index (FFMI; kg/m 2 ) and FM index (FMI; kg/m 2 ) were also calculated [ 16 , 17 , 24 ]. In addition, trunk fat mass index (TFMI; kg/m 2 ) was calculated as trunk FM divided by height squared, and was used as an indicator of body fat distribution [ 32 ].…”

“…Higher levels of PA and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) are associated with lower body fatness levels in children [ 11 , 12 ] and adolescents [ 5 , 13 ], and have been suggested to decrease the risks associated with obesity and other cardiovascular disease risk factors later in life [ 9 , 14 ]. In addition, it has been demonstrated that higher PA and physical fitness levels are longitudinally associated with lower body fatness levels in children [ 15 , 16 , 17 ] and adolescents [ 13 , 18 ]. For example, moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) levels in 12-year-old children were strongly and inversely associated with body fat mass (FM) two years later [ 19 ], while higher CRF levels in 4.5-year-old children were related to lower body FM and higher fat-free mass (FFM) one year later [ 20 ].…”

“…For example, moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) levels in 12-year-old children were strongly and inversely associated with body fat mass (FM) two years later [ 19 ], while higher CRF levels in 4.5-year-old children were related to lower body FM and higher fat-free mass (FFM) one year later [ 20 ]. In addition, changes in CRF were negatively associated with changes in body fat percentage (BF%) and FM index (FMI) in children in the transition from preschool to school [ 16 ]. In contrast, baseline MVPA levels were not associated with waist circumference in children and adolescents at two years’ follow-up [ 21 ].…”