Abstract
Whereas in adults, physical inactivity is strongly related to obesity and hypertension, in young children the evidence is inconsistent and scarce. We examined the association between physical activity (PA) behaviours at 5–6 years of age and adiposity and blood pressure (BP) at 10–11 years in 947 children (51% boys) from the Groningen Expert Center for Kids with Obesity (GECKO) Drenthe cohort. Sedentary time (ST) and light, moderate, and vigorous PA were assessed using accelerometry (ActiGraph GT3X, wear time > 600 min/day, ≥3 days). Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and systolic and diastolic BP were measured at 5–6 and 10–11 years of age and standardized as age- and sex-adjusted (and height-adjusted, for BP) z-scores. Adjusted linear and logistic regression models showed that most PA behaviours were not related to standardized BMI or WC, overweightness/obesity, abdominal overweightness/obesity, standardized systolic or diastolic BP, pulse pressure, or prehypertension at 10–11 years of age. Only if children spent more time in vigorous PA was WC slightly lower (B (95% CI) = −0.08 (−0.16, −0.01) SD, stdβ = −0.068) and the increase in WC over the years was less (B (95% CI) = −0.10 (−0.18, −0.01) SD; stdβ = −0.083). To conclude, at this very young age, PA behaviours are not a strong predictor for overweightness/obesity or hypertension later in childhood.
Highlights
Obesity is an increasing problem in society
A recent paper comparing body mass index (BMI) trajectories for ages 5–19 years across countries showed that the BMI in the Netherlands is close to the world median [5]
We studied Sedentary time (ST) and different intensities of physical activity (PA) to provide detailed insights into the influence of PA behaviours at a young age on future health
Summary
Obesity is an increasing problem in society. The World Health Organization refers to a global obesity epidemic, as obesity rates have almost tripled since 1975 [1,2]. In 2016, around 40% of adults were affected as being overweight, and 13% with obesity globally. The obesity rates among children are rising. About 6% of children under the age of five years were affected by overweight or obesity in 2019 [3]. In the Netherlands, 12.0% of 4- to 12-year-old children were affected by overweightness or obesity in 2019 [4]. A recent paper comparing body mass index (BMI) trajectories for ages 5–19 years across countries showed that the BMI in the Netherlands is close to the world median [5]
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