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The association between an objective measure of physical activity and weight status in preschoolers
Elizabeth S Metallinos-Katsaras1, Patty S Freedson, Janet E Fulton
1Department of Nutrition, School for Health Studies, Simmons College, MA 02115-5898, USA. metallin@simmons.edu
Insights
Vigorous physical activity in preschoolers is linked to lower odds of being overweight. Increased very vigorous minutes (VVM) and very active minutes (VAM) were associated with reduced overweight risk in this study.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Obesity Research
- Physical Activity Science
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern, particularly among low-income and diverse populations.
- Understanding the relationship between physical activity and Body Mass Index (BMI) in early childhood is crucial for developing effective interventions.
- Preschoolers represent a critical developmental period where lifestyle habits are established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between objectively measured physical activity levels and BMI in a sample of racially diverse, low-income preschoolers.
- To identify specific types and durations of physical activity that may protect against overweight in young children.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 56 preschoolers aged 2-5 years, enrolled in the WIC program.
- Physical activity was monitored for 7 consecutive days using accelerometers.
- BMI-for-age percentiles were calculated using CDC Growth Charts, with overweight defined as BMI-for-age ≥ 85th percentile.
Main Results:
- Overweight preschoolers exhibited significantly lower daily mean minutes of very vigorous activity (VVM) and very active minutes (VAM) compared to non-overweight peers.
- Reduced odds of being overweight were significantly associated with higher daily VVM, vigorous minutes (VM), and VAM.
Conclusions:
- Vigorous and very vigorous physical activity are associated with lower odds of overweight in diverse, low-income preschoolers.
- These findings highlight the importance of promoting high-intensity physical activity in early childhood.
- Further longitudinal studies are recommended to confirm these associations in diverse preschool populations.
Objective:
Our objective was to determine the association between physical activity and BMI among racially diverse low-income preschoolers.
Research Methods And Procedures:
This was a cross-sectional study of 2- to 5-year-olds (n = 56) enrolled in Massachusetts Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants & Children (WIC). Physical activity was measured for 7 consecutive days with an accelerometer. Height and weight were obtained from WIC records, and BMI-for-age percentiles were calculated based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) 2000 Growth Charts. At-risk-for-overweight (BMI-for-age of > or = 85th to < 95th percentile) and overweight (BMI-for-age > or = 95th percentile) groups were combined and referred to as overweight. Final analysis inclusion criteria were: completion of 4.5 days of activity assessment and anthropometric data obtained within 90 and 120 days of the activity assessment for children ages 24 to 35.99 and 36 to 59.99 months, respectively.
Results:
Overweight children had significantly lower mean daily very vigorous minutes (VVM) (2.6 mins vs. 4.6 mins, p < 0.05) and lower very active minutes (VAM) [i.e., sum of vigorous minutes (VM) and VVM] per day (22.9 mins vs. 32.1 mins, p < 0.05) than children who were not overweight. Daily VVM [odds ratio (OR) = 0.68; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.49 to 0.96], VM (OR = 0.94; CI, 0.88 to 1.00), and VAM (OR = 0.94; 95% CI, 0.89 to 1.00) were all associated with significantly lower odds of being overweight.
Discussion:
This study suggests that, in a diverse group of preschoolers, vigorous and very vigorous activity are associated with lower odds of overweight. However, these findings require corroboration in a diverse sample of preschoolers using a longitudinal design.
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