Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 28, 2026
Physical Activity Measurement in Children Accepting Table Tennis Training
Published on: July 27, 2022
Physical activity, diet and BMI in children aged 6-8 years: a cross-sectional analysis
Laura Basterfield1, Angela R Jones1, Kathryn N Parkinson1
1Institute of Health & Society, Human Nutrition Research Centre, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Insights
Higher physical activity (PA) is linked to lower overweight/obesity (OW/OB) risk in boys. Few children meet UK guidelines for PA and diet, indicating a need for improved public health strategies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric health
- Obesity research
- Public health nutrition
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern.
- Understanding the interplay between physical activity, diet, and weight status is crucial for effective interventions.
- Current UK guidelines for physical activity and diet are not widely met by children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the associations between current physical activity levels, dietary intake, and body mass index (BMI) in English children.
- To identify potential modifiable factors contributing to overweight and obesity in this population.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal birth cohort study in northeast England analyzed data from 425 children aged 6-8 years.
- Objective physical activity (PA) was measured using accelerometers, categorizing children into 'active,' 'moderately active,' or 'inactive' based on moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA).
- Dietary intake was assessed over 4 days, and children were classified by weight status (healthy weight vs. overweight or obese - OW/OB) using International Obesity Taskforce BMI cutpoints.
Main Results:
- Only 7% of children met the recommended 60 minutes/day of MVPA, and 3% met the '5-a-day' fruit and vegetable recommendation.
- Higher PA levels were significantly associated with a reduced odds ratio for OW/OB in boys (OR 0.20).
- No significant association was found between dietary intake categories and OW/OB status in either boys or girls.
Conclusions:
- Increased moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity may be a key factor in reducing overweight and obesity risk among boys.
- Further research is needed to understand the relationship between PA and OW/OB in girls.
- There is an urgent need for improved public health initiatives to encourage adherence to UK dietary and physical activity guidelines in children.
Objective:
To assess relationships between current physical activity (PA), dietary intake and body mass index (BMI) in English children.
Design And Setting:
Longitudinal birth cohort study in northeast England, cross-sectional analysis.
Participants:
425 children (41% of the original cohort) aged 6-8 years (49% boys).
Main Outcome Measures:
PA over 7 days was measured objectively by an accelerometer; three categories of PA were created: 'active' ≥60 min/day moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA); 'moderately active' 30-59 min/day MVPA; 'inactive' <30 min/day MVPA. Dietary intake over 4 days was measured using a prospective dietary assessment tool which incorporated elements of the food diary and food frequency methods. Three diet categories were created: 'healthy', 'unhealthy' and 'mixed', according to the number of portions of different foods consumed. Adherence to the '5-a-day' recommendations for portions of fruit and vegetables was also assessed. Children were classified as 'healthy weight' or 'overweight or obese' (OW/OB) according to International Obesity Taskforce cutpoints for BMI. Associations between weight status and PA/diet categories were analysed using logistic regression.
Results:
Few children met the UK-recommended guidelines for either MVPA or fruit and vegetable intake, with just 7% meeting the recommended amount of MVPA of 60 min/day, and 3% meeting the 5-a-day fruit and vegetable recommendation. Higher PA was associated with a lower OR for OW/OB in boys only (0.20, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.88). There was no association detected between dietary intake and OW/OB in either sex.
Conclusions:
Increasing MVPA may help to reduce OW/OB in boys; however, more research is required to examine this relationship in girls. Children are not meeting the UK guidelines for diet and PA, and more needs to be done to improve this situation.
