Relationships among Physical Activity, Health-Related Quality of Life, and Weight Stigma in Children in Hong Kong

Abstract

Objectives: Our objective in this study was to establish the relationships among active and inactive physical activity, HRQoL, and weight stigma in children. Additionally, we investigated weight stigma as a mediator of the relationship between physical activity and HRQoL.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Hong Kong (June 2017-July 2018). Participants were 437 children in elementary school (2 primary schools and 2 non-governmental organizations) and their parents (dyads). Participants completed questionnaires containing items assessing demographic characteristics, physical activity level, and several HRQoL measures.Results: We found a statistically significant difference between a higher physically activity group (exercise > 2 hours/week) in all measures of HRQoL. Weight stigma had a significant mediating effect on the relationship between physical activity and child-rated HRQoL (Coefficient = -0.37; SE=0.05; t = 8.21; p < .001), parent-rated HRQoL (Coefficient = -0.16; SE = 0.04; t = 4.21; p < .001), and child-rated weight-related QoL (Coefficient = -0.56; SE = 0.04; t = 14.92; p < .001). Conclusions: Physical activity was associated with better HRQoL and lower weight stigma. Weight stigma appears to affect how physical activity is related to better HRQoL, but the association is somewhat weak.

RETRACTED: Leukocyte telomere length and obesity in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Several studies showed that in humans, a shorter adult LTL seems to be related to a suite of differences in behavior, including inactivity, obesity, smoking, alcohol intake, and higher stress reactivity ( Cherkas et al, 2008 ; Costa et al, 2015 ; Mundstock et al, 2015 ; Müezzinler et al, 2016 ; Astuti et al, 2017 ). Although some of these relations are based on single studies and may not be vigorous, physical activity, BMI, and smoking are based on the meta-analyses of many published studies ( Ulaganathan et al, 2018 ; Fairman et al, 2021 ; Kamolthip et al, 2021 ; Leman et al, 2021 ). Also, several studies revealed the possible role of environmental pollutants like air and traffic pollutants on LTL shortening; in a systematic review of more than 12,058 subjects, Zhao B et al revealed that air pollution reduced LTL ( Zhao et al, 2018 ), other studies also reported similar results about air pollution ( Lee et al, 2019 ; Niehoff et al, 2019 ) and this finding was also confirmed in several other studies about the role of traffic pollutants ( Hoxha et al, 2009 ), low to moderate exposure to lead ( Pawlas et al, 2015 ).…”

RETRACTED: Screen Time and Body Mass Index Among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Therefore, these dietary patterns, in conjunction with lower levels of physical activity, are in positive associations with childhood obesity ( 1 ). One of the most important factors that is associated with obesity, is sedentary life style and inactivity; too much television watching and video game playing rather than engaging in conventional recreational activities promote obesity in children and adolescents ( 6 – 9 ). Decrease in physical activity and increased sedentary behavior among children and adolescence is a serious health problem; recent studies have explored that sedentary behaviors among 10–12-year-old children was nearly 8 h per day and they spent more than 2 h per day in front of computer or TV screens ( 10 ).…”

RETRACTED: Obesity Accelerates Leukocyte Telomere Length Shortening in Apparently Healthy Adults: A Meta-Analysis

“…Several lifestyle-related factors are associated with telomere shortening like smoking ( 11 – 13 ), alcohol intake even in minor amounts ( 14 , 15 ), low physical activity ( 16 , 17 ), and high-fat diets ( 18 , 19 ) that trigger telomere shortening. Obesity is a well-known risk factor for many age-related comorbidities and directly increases the risk of oxidative stress and inflammation ( 20 , 21 ). Several previous studies have introduced obesity as a leading cause of telomere shortening ( 22 – 24 ).…”