Sedentary time in late childhood and cardiometabolic risk in adolescence

There is a paucity of prospective evidence examining the links between sedentary time (ST) and cardiometabolic outcomes in youth. We examined the associations between objectively assessed ST and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in childhood with cardiometabolic risk in adolescence.

The study included 4639 children (47% male) aged 11 to 12 years at baseline whose mothers were enrolled in ALSPAC (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children) during their pregnancy in the early 1990s. A total of 2963 children had valid blood samples at age 15 to 16 years. Associations with baseline ST and MVPA were examined for BMI, waist circumference, body fat mass, lean body mass, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, glucose, insulin, C-reactive protein, and a clustered standardized cardiometabolic risk score (CMscore).

Baseline ST was not associated deleteriously with any cardiometabolic markers. MVPA was beneficially associated with the 3 adiposity indicators, lean body mass, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, C-reactive protein, insulin, HDL cholesterol, and CMscore; once the models were adjusted for baseline levels of these markers, these associations remained for body fat mass (mean difference per 10 minutes of MVPA: -0.320 [95% confidence interval (CI): -0.438 to -0.203]; P < .001), HDL cholesterol (0.006 logged mmol/L [95% CI: 0.001 to 0.011]; P = .028), insulin (-0.024 logged IU/L [95% CI: -0.036 to -0.013]; P < .001), and CMscore (-0.014 [95% CI: -0.025 to -0.004]; P = .009).

We found no evidence linking ST in late childhood with adverse cardiometabolic outcomes in adolescence. Baseline MVPA was beneficially linked to broad cardiometabolic health in adolescence.