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Vigorous physical activity is important in maintaining a favourable health trajectory in active children: the CHAMPS
Martin Sénéchal1,2, Jeffrey J Hebert3,4, Timothy J Fairchild4
1Faculty of Kinesiology, University of New Brunswick, New Brunswick, Canada. msenecha@unb.ca.
Insights
Physically active children meeting guidelines still show varied health outcomes. Vigorous physical activity (PA) is key for better health trajectories, while light PA may negatively impact outcomes in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Exercise Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Physical activity (PA) is crucial for children's health, impacting weight, adiposity, and aerobic fitness.
- However, children meeting PA guidelines exhibit diverse health trajectories.
- Understanding PA's role in these trajectories is vital for optimizing child health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine prospective associations between PA behavior (overall and intensity) and health-related factor trajectories in physically active children.
- To identify subgroups of children based on their health trajectories despite meeting PA recommendations.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study over 2.5 years with 391 children (aged 8.1±1.4 years).
- Objective measurement of daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (≥60 minutes).
- Group-based multi-trajectory modeling to analyze BMI, waist circumference, and aerobic fitness.
Main Results:
- Three distinct health trajectory subgroups identified: 'high fitness/normal weight' (48.4%), 'moderate fitness/normal weight' (42.5%), and 'low fitness/overweight-obese' (9.1%).
- Higher overall PA was linked to a lower likelihood of being in the 'low fitness/overweight-obese' group.
- Increased vigorous PA time significantly reduced the risk of being in less favorable health trajectories, while light PA increased this risk.
Conclusions:
- Vigorous physical activity is the strongest predictor of positive health trajectories in children meeting PA guidelines.
- Current PA guidelines should emphasize the importance of vigorous PA for children's long-term health.
- Light PA may have detrimental effects on health outcomes in this population, warranting further investigation.
Abstract:
Physical activity (PA) is critical to improving health factors such as weight, adiposity, and aerobic fitness. However, children who meet PA guideline recommendations demonstrate developmental differences in health-related outcomes. To investigate prospective associations between PA behaviour (overall PA and PA intensity) and trajectories of health-related factors among physically active children. This prospective study (2.5 years) included 391 children (baseline age: 8.1 ± 1.4 years; girls 36.3%) from ten public schools. All children performed 60-min or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day objectively measured. Trajectories of BMI, waist circumference, and aerobic fitness were constructed with a group-based multi-trajectory model. Three trajectory subgroups were identified: 'high fitness/normal weight' (48.4% of children), 'moderate fitness /normal weight' (42.5% of children), and 'low fitness/overweight-obese' (9.1% of children). Children performing higher overall PA, were less likely of being classified as members of the 'Low Fitness/Overweight-Obese' [Relative Risk Ratio (RRR and 95% CI) = 0.56 (0.37 to 0.85) compared to 'high fitness/normal weight' subgroup. Each additional 5% in light PA time was associated with approximately twofold [RRR 2.12 (1.24-3.61)] increased risk of being in the 'low fitness/overweight-obese' trajectory relative to the 'high fitness/normal weight' trajectory. Each additional 2% in vigorous-PA time was associated with a 42% and 85% reduced risk (relative to 'high fitness/normal weight') of being in the 'moderate fitness/normal weight' [RRR 0.58 (0.38-0.96)] and 'low fitness/overweight-obesity' [RRR 0.15 (0.06-0.37)] trajectory, respectively. Overall PA and additional time in vigorous-PA was associated with improved health-related outcomes, while light PA was negatively associated with health-related outcomes among children who adhere to PA guideline recommendations. Vigorous PA was the strongest predictor of the health trajectories. All PA guidelines for children should place greater emphasis on the importance of vigorous PA.
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