Dataset Information

Physical activity, diet and BMI in children aged 6-8 years: a cross-sectional analysis.

ABSTRACT:

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.

SUBMITTER: Basterfield L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4054632 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Physical activity, diet and BMI in children aged 6-8 years: a cross-sectional analysis.

Basterfield Laura L Jones Angela R AR Parkinson Kathryn N KN Reilly Jessica J Pearce Mark S MS Reilly John J JJ Adamson Ashley J AJ

BMJ open 20140605 6

<h4>Objective</h4>To assess relationships between current physical activity (PA), dietary intake and body mass index (BMI) in English children.<h4>Design and setting</h4>Longitudinal birth cohort study in northeast England, cross-sectional analysis.<h4>Participants</h4>425 children (41% of the original cohort) aged 6-8 years (49% boys).<h4>Main outcome measures</h4>PA over 7 days was measured objectively by an accelerometer; three categories of PA were created: 'active' ≥60 min/day moderate-to-v ...[more]

PMID: 24902732

Similar Datasets

Project description:ObjectivesAlthough socioeconomic status (SES) has been shown to be an important determinant of physical activity (PA) in adults, the association in children and adolescents remains less consistent based on evidence from western developed countries. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to investigate associations between SES and PA among Chinese children and adolescents.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted with a self-reported questionnaire in China. The multi-stage stratified cluster sampling method was used, and 2,955 children and adolescents (8-17 years old, 53.4% girls) were enrolled in this study. SES was assessed by measuring parental education levels, perceived family wealth, and Family Affluence Scale II (FAS II). PA was assessed by reliable and valid items from the Health Behavior School-aged Children Surveillance questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to report sample characteristics, including demographic characteristics, levels of PA, and SES. The Chi-square test was applied to analyze the differences of PA in gender and school period. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the association between SES and PA among children and adolescents.ResultsOverall, 10.4% of children and adolescents accumulated moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at least 60 min per day. Boys were more physically active than girls (14.1% vs. 7.2%, p < 0.001). Higher socioeconomic status was positively associated with higher physical activity levels among children and adolescents, especially using FAS and mother education level as SES measures. The association between SES and PA varied by gender and grade group, and the effects of SES are also different on weekdays and weekends.ConclusionThis study found socioeconomic disparities in PA among Chinese children and adolescents, and showed the importance of targeting children and adolescents with low SES intervention priority. Based on these research findings, it is suggested that SES, especially for FAS and mother education level, should be considered when designing and implementing the promotion of regular PA in children and adolescents. Health policymakers may use this information to develop interventions to reduce health inequalities among children and adolescents in the future.

Dataset Information

Physical activity, diet and BMI in children aged 6-8 years: a cross-sectional analysis.

Objective

Design and setting

Participants

Main outcome measures

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Physical activity, diet and BMI in children aged 6-8 years: a cross-sectional analysis.

Similar Datasets

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