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Is directly measured physical activity related to adiposity in preschool children?

Anna Sijtsma1, Pieter J J Sauer, Ronald P Stolk

  • 1Department of Epidemiology, University Medical Center Groningen , University of Groningen,Groningen, Netherlands. a.sijtsma@umcg.nl

International Journal of Pediatric Obesity : IJPO : an Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity
|August 13, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Physical activity is linked to lower body fat in preschoolers. However, the connection between physical activity and body mass index (BMI) in young children remains unclear, requiring more research.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Exercise Science
  • Obesity Research

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
  • Accurate assessment of physical activity and adiposity is crucial for understanding health risks in preschool children.
  • Existing research presents mixed findings on the relationship between physical activity and adiposity in this age group.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and synthesize findings on the association between directly assessed physical activity and adiposity in preschool children (ages 1.5-6 years).
  • To examine how different measures of adiposity influence the observed relationship with physical activity.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of 17 cross-sectional and longitudinal studies published between January 1999 and February 2010.
  • Inclusion of studies that directly assessed physical activity and used various measures of adiposity, including percentage body fat and body mass index (BMI).

Main Results:

  • A significant inverse relationship between physical activity and percentage body fat was found in 60% (3/5) of relevant studies.
  • In contrast, only 18% (2/11) of studies using body mass index (BMI) reported a significant association with physical activity.
  • Physical activity appears inversely related to percentage body fat in preschool children.

Conclusions:

  • Directly measured physical activity is inversely associated with percentage body fat in preschool children.
  • The association between physical activity and body mass index (BMI) as a measure of adiposity in this age group is not consistently established.
  • Further research employing direct physical activity assessment and percentage body fat measurements is recommended for clearer conclusions on childhood adiposity.

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