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Association between sedentary behavior time and waist-to-height ratio in preschool children

Jorge Mota1, Sandra Silva Dos Santos2, Amanda Santos2

  • 1Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Research Centre in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure, 4200-450, Porto, Portugal. jmota@fade.up.pt.

American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council
|March 19, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Preschool boys with more sedentary behavior (SB) time are more likely to have central obesity, indicated by a higher waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). This finding highlights the importance of reducing sedentary time in young children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric health
  • Obesity research
  • Behavioral science

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
  • Central obesity, measured by waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), is a key indicator of metabolic risk.
  • Sedentary behavior (SB) is increasingly prevalent in young children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between sedentary behavior time and waist-to-height ratio in preschool children.
  • To identify potential risks for central obesity related to sedentary habits.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 646 preschool children (4-6 years old) was studied.
  • Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) was calculated, with a cutoff of 0.5 indicating risk for abdominal obesity.
  • Sedentary behavior (SB) was objectively measured using accelerometers over seven consecutive days.

Main Results:

  • The prevalence of central obesity (WHtR ≥ 0.5) was 52.4% in girls and 39.2% in boys.
  • Boys at risk for central obesity were significantly more likely to have higher SB duration (OR: 1.6; CI: 1.1-2.5; P ≤ 0.05), even after adjusting for age.

Conclusions:

  • Higher sedentary behavior time in preschool boys is associated with an increased likelihood of central obesity.
  • These findings suggest that interventions to reduce sedentary behavior may be beneficial for preventing obesity in young boys.
Abstract

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