Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2016

Open Access 01-12-2016 | Research article

Objectively measured physical activity levels and sedentary time in 7–9-year-old Estonian schoolchildren: independent associations with body composition parameters

Authors: Eva-Maria Riso, Merike Kull, Kerli Mooses, Aave Hannus, Jaak Jürimäe

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2016

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Sufficient daily physical activity (PA) is necessary for physical, social and mental health benefits during growth. Most of the available data on children is based on subjective reports, while only limited data on objective PA and sedentary levels is available for primary school children. Increased PA is also an important health indicator of body composition parameters, especially body adiposity indices. The aim of the present study was to determine objectively the amount of daily PA levels at different intensities and sedentary time in normal-weight (NW) and overweight (OW) 7–9-year-old boys and girls, and to find associations between objectively measured PA levels and sedentary time with different body composition values.

Methods

Two hundred and seventy eight (142 boys and 136 girls) primary school children aged 7.9 ± 0.7 years participated in this study. Objective PA intensity and sedentary levels were measured over 7 days by accelerometry. Indices of total fat mass (body fat %, sum of skinfolds), fat distribution (waist-to-height ratio) and muscular component (fat free mass [FFM]) were calculated from measured anthropometric parameters.

Results

There were no differences (p > 0.05) in PA intensity levels and sedentary time between boys and girls as well as between NW and OW children. About 11 % of children met the current guidelines of at least 60 min per day of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). Sedentary time was positively and negatively associated (p < 0.05) with all body fat and FFM values, respectively. Moderate and vigorous PA along with MVPA were negatively and positively associated (p < 0.05) with all body fat and FFM indices, respectively.

Conclusions

The results of present study showed that about 11 % of primary school children were engaged in PA of at least 60 min of MVPA daily. While MVPA is negatively associated with fat mass indices and positively associated with FFM regardless of different confounders, sedentary time is negatively related to FFM and positively with fat mass values after adjusting for several confounders. These results suggest that higher MVPA level and lower sedentary time level are important in maintaining and developing healthy body composition in primary school children during growth.
Literature
1.
Strong WB, Malina RM, Blimkie CJ, Daniels SR, Dishman RK, Gutin B, et al. Evidence based physical activity for school-age youth. J Pediatr. 2005;146:732–7.CrossRefPubMed
2.
3.
Cooper AR, Goodman A, Page AS, Sherar LB, Esliger DW, van Sluijs E, et al. Objectively measured physical activity and sedentary time in youth: the International children’s accelerometry database (ICAD). Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2015;12:113.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
4.
Spittaels H, Van Cauwenberghe E, Verbestel V, De Meester F, Van Dyck D, Verloigne M, et al. Objectively measured sedentary time and physical activity time across the lifespan: a cross-sectional study in four age groups. Int J Behav Nutr Act. 2012;9:149.CrossRef
5.
Tremblay MS, Colley RC, Saunders TJ, Healy GN, Owen N. Physiological and health implications of a sedentary lifestyle. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2010;35:725–40.CrossRefPubMed
6.
WHO. Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2010.
7.
Ekelund U, Tomkinson GR, Armstrong N. What proportion of youth are physically active? Measurement issues, levels and recent time trends. Br J Sports Med. 2011;45:859–65.CrossRefPubMed
8.
Konstabel K, Veidebaum T, Verbestel V, Moreno LA, Bammann K, Tornaitis M. Objectively measured physical activity in European children: the IDEFICS study. Int J Obes. 2014;38:S135–43.CrossRef
9.
Kettner S, Kobel S, Fischbach N, Drenowatz C, Dreyhaupy J, Wirt T. Objectively determined physical activity levels of primary school children in south-west Germany. BMC Public Health. 2013;13:895.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
10.
Laguna M, Ruiz JR, Gallardo C, Garcia-Pastor T, Lara MT, Aznar S. Obesity and physical activity patterns in children and adolescents. J Paediatr Child Health. 2013;49:942–9.CrossRefPubMed
11.
Sigmund E, Sigmundová D, Šnoblová R, Madarásová GA. Acti’Trainer-determined segmented moderate-to-vigorous physical activity patterns among normal-weight and overweight-to-obese Czech schoolchildren. Eur J Pediatr. 2014;173:321–9.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
12.
Colley RC, Garriguet D, Janssen I, Craig CL, Clarke J, Tremblay MS. Physical activity of Canadian children and youth: Accelerometer results from the 2007 to 2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey. Health Rep. 2011;22:1.
13.
Steele RM, van Sluijs EMF, Cassidy A, Griffin SJ, Ekelund U. Targeting sedentary time or moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity: independent relations with adiposity in a population-based sample of 10-y-old British children. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;90:1185–92.CrossRefPubMed
14.
Troiano RP, Berrigan D, Dodd KW, Mȃsse LC, Tilert T, McDowell M. Physical Activity in the United States Measured by Accelerometer. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008;40:181–8.CrossRefPubMed
15.
Verloigne M, Van Lippevelde W, Maes L, Yildirim M, Chinapaw M, Manios Y, et al. Levels of physical activity and sedentary time among 10- to 12-year-old boys and girls across 5 European countries using accelerometers: an observational study within the ENERGY-project. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2012;9:34.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
16.
Ortega BF, Konstabel K, Pasquali E, Ruiz JR, Hurtig-Wennlöf A, Mäestu J et al. Objectively measured physical activity and sedentary time during childhood, adolescence and young adulthood: a cohort study. PloS ONE. 2013. doi: 10.​1371/​journal.​pone.​0060871.
17.
Cain KL, Sallis JF, Conway TL, Van Dyck T, Calhoon L. Using accelerometers in youth physical activity studies: a review of methods. J Phys Act Health. 2013;10:437–50.PubMed
18.
Nilsson A, Andersen LB, Ommundsen Y, Froberg K, Sardinha LB, Piehl-Aulin K, et al. Correlates of objectively assessed physical activity and sedentary time in children: a cross-sectional study (The European Youth Heart Study). BMC Public Health. 2009;9:322.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
19.
Basterfield L, Reilly JK, Pearce MS, Parkinson KN, Adamson AJ, Reilly JJ, et al. Longitudinal associations between sports participation, body composition and physical activity from childhood to adolescence. J Sci Med Sport. 2015;18:178–82.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
20.
Deforche B, De Bourdeaudhuij I, D’hondt E, Cardon G. Objectively measured physical activity, physical activity related personality and body mass index in 6- to 10-yr-old children: a cross-sectional study. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2009;6:25.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
21.
Dorsey KB, Herrin J, Krumholtz HM. Patterns of moderate and vigorous physical activity in obese and overweight compared with non-overweight children. Int J Pediatr Obes. 2011. doi: 10.​3109/​17477166.​2010.​490586.
22.
Goran MI. Measurement issues related to studies of childhood obesity: assessment of body composition, body fat distribution, physical activity and food intake. Pediatrics. 1998;101:505–18.CrossRefPubMed
23.
Jiménez-Pavón D, Fernández-Vázquez A, Alexy U, Pedrero R, Cuenca-García M, Polito A. Association of objectively measured physical activity with body components in European adolescents. BMC Public Health. 2013;13:667.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
24.
Loprinzi PD, Smit E, Cardinal BJ, Crespo C, Brodowicz G, Andersen R. Valid and invalid accelerometry data among children and adolescents: comparison across demographic, behavioural, and biological variables. Am J Health Promot. 2014;28:155–8.CrossRefPubMed
25.
Cole TJ, Bellizi MC, Flegal KM, Dietz WH. Establishing a standard definition for child overweight and obesity worldwide: international survey. BMJ. 2000;320:1240–3.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
26.
Marfell-Jones M, Olds T, Carter JEL. International standards for anthropometric assessments. ISAK; 2006.
27.
Nagy E, Vicente-Rodriguez G, Manios Y, Beghin L, Iliescu C, Censi L, et al. Harmonization process and reliability assessment of anthropometric measurements in a multicenter study in adolescents. Int J Obes (Lond). 2008;32:S58–65.
28.
Utsal L, Tillmann V, Zilmer M, Mäestu J, Purge P, Jürimäe J, et al. Elevated serum IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, CRP, and IFN-ɣ levels in 10- to 11-year-old boys with increased BMI. Horm Res Paediatr. 2012;78:31–9.CrossRefPubMed
29.
Slaughter M, Lohman TG, Boileau RA, Horsvill CA, Stillman RJ, Van Loan MD, et al. Skinfold equations for estimation of body fatness in children and youth. Hum Biol. 1988;60:709–23.PubMed
30.
Keefer DJ, Caputo JL, Tseh W. Waist-to-height ratio and body mass index as indicators of cardiovascular risk in youth. J Sch Health. 2013;83:805–9.CrossRefPubMed
31.
Chaput JP, Leduc G, Boyer C, Bélanger P, LeBlanc AG, Borghese MM et al. Objectively measured physical activity, sedentary time and sleep duration: independent and combined associations with adiposity in canadian children. Nutrition & Diabetes. 2014. doi: 10.​1038/​nutd.​2014.​14.
32.
Lätt E, Mäestu J, Ortega FB, Rääsk T, Jürimäe T, Jürimäe J. Vigorous physical activity rather than sedentary behaviour predicts overweight and obesity in pubertal boys: a 2-year follow-up study. Scand J Public Health. 2015;43:276–82.CrossRefPubMed
33.
Vaitkeviciute D, Lätt E, Mäestu J, Jürimäe T, Saar M, Purge P, et al. Physical activity and bone mineral accrual in boys with different body mass parameters during puberty: a longitudinal study. PLoS One. 2014;9(10):e107759.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
34.
Evenson KR, Catellier DJ, Gill K, Ondrak KS, McMurray RG. Calibration of two objective measures of physical activity of children. J Sports Sci. 2008;26:1557–65.CrossRefPubMed
35.
Ivuskans A, Mäestu J, Jürimäe T, Lätt E, Purge P, Saar M, et al. Sedentary time has a negative influence on bone mineral parameters in peripubertal boys: a 1-year prospective study. J Bone Miner Metab. 2015;33:85–92.CrossRefPubMed
36.
Hjorth MF, Chaput J-P, Ritz C, Dalskov S-M, Andersen R, Astrup A, et al. Fatness predicts decreased physical activity and increased sedentary time, but not vice versa: support from a longitudinal study in 8- to 11-year-old children. Int J Obes. 2014;38:959–65.CrossRef
37.
Guinhouya BC, Samouda H, de Beaufort C. Level of physical activity among children and adolescents in Europe: a review of physical activity assessed objectively by accelerometry. Public Health. 2013;127:301–11.CrossRefPubMed
38.
Basterfield L, Pearce MS, Adamson AJ, Frary JK, Parkinson KN, Wright CM. Physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and adiposity in English children. Am J Prev Med. 2012;42:445–51.CrossRefPubMed
39.
Ridgers ND, Timperio A, Cerin E, Salmon J. Compensation of physical activity and sedentary time in primary school children. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2014;46:1564–9.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
40.
Pereira S, Gomes TN, Borges A, Santos D, Souza M, dos Santos FK, et al. Variability and stability in daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among 10 year old children. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2015;12:9248–63.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
41.
LeBlanc AG, Katzmarzyk PT, Barreira TV, Broyles ST, Chaput J-P, Church TS, et al. Correlates of total sedentary time and screen time in 9–11 year-old children around the world: the international study of childhood obesity, lifestyle and the environment. PLoS One. 2015;10:e129622. doi:10.​1371/​journal.​pone.0129622.
42.
Moliner-Urdiales D, Ortega FB, Vicente-Rodriguez G, Rey-Lopez JP, Gracia-Marco L, Widhalm K, et al. Association of physical activity with muscular strength and fat-free mass in adolescents: the HELENA study. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2010;109:1119–27.CrossRefPubMed
43.
Aznar S, Naylor PJ, Silva P, Pérez M, Angulo T, Laguna M, et al. Patterns of physical activity in Spanish children: a descriptive pilot study. Child Care Health Dev. 2011;37:322–8.CrossRefPubMed
44.
Thompson AM, Campagna PD, Durant M, Murphy RJ, Rehman LA, Wadsworth LA. Are overweight students in grade 3,7, and 11 less physically active than their healthy weight counterparts? Int J Pediatr Obes. 2009;4:28–35.CrossRefPubMed
45.
Kwon S, Janz KF, Burns TL, Levy SM. Association between light-intensity physical activity and adiposity in childhood. Pediatr Exerc Sci. 2011;23:218–29.PubMedPubMedCentral
46.
Johannsen DL, Knuth ND, Huizenga R, Rood JC, Ravussin E, Hall KD. Metabolic slowing with massive weight loss despite preservation of fat-free mass. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012;97:2489–96.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
47.
Lohman TG. Assessment of body composition in children. Pediatr Exerc Sci. 1989;1:19–30.
Metadata
Title
Objectively measured physical activity levels and sedentary time in 7–9-year-old Estonian schoolchildren: independent associations with body composition parameters
Authors
Eva-Maria Riso
Merike Kull
Kerli Mooses
Aave Hannus
Jaak Jürimäe
Publication date
01-12-2016
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016-3000-6

Other articles of this Issue 1/2016

BMC Public Health 1/2016 Go to the issue

Research article

Integrating acute malnutrition interventions into national health systems: lessons from Niger

Study protocol

Investigating the patterns and determinants of seasonal variation in vitamin D status in Australian adults: the Seasonal D Cohort Study

Research article

Air pollution, neighbourhood and maternal-level factors modify the effect of smoking on birth weight: a multilevel analysis in British Columbia, Canada

Study protocol

A community-engaged randomized controlled trial of an integrative intervention with HIV-positive, methamphetamine-using men who have sex with men

Study protocol

A quasi-experimental cross-disciplinary evaluation of the impacts of education outside the classroom on pupils’ physical activity, well-being and learning: the TEACHOUT study protocol

Research article

Use of electronic cigarettes among secondary and high school students from a socially disadvantaged rural area in Poland