Associations among metabolic health, weight status, and various physical fitness components in Japanese adolescents: a cross-sectional study (NICE EVIDENCE study- Agano 3)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Aim was to examine associations among metabolic health, weight status, and various physical fitness (PF) components in 1744 Japanese adolescents aged 13–14. Anthropometric measurements and PF tests (20 m shuttle run test [20mSRT], handgrip strength/body mass [HG], standing long jump [SLJ], and sit ups [SU]) were administered. The bottom sex-specific quintile of PF indicated “low fit”. Participants were classified as non-overweight (non-OW) or overweight/obese (OW) according to the International Obesity Task Force. Clustered metabolic risk was defined as the sum of Z scores for mean arterial pressure, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and HbA1c, divided by three, and ≥ 1 SD. Combination of weight status and scores for HG or SU were additively associated with clustered metabolic risk. Compared with the non-OW-moderate-high fit group, the OW-low HG group was 3.05 (95%CI: 1.88–4.97) times more likely to have clustered metabolic risk although risk was not significantly elevated in the OW-moderate-high HG group (1.52 [95%CI: 0.88–2.62]). A similar association was observed between OW and low SU scores but not between OW and low 20mSRT or SLJ scores. Adolescents with OW and moderate-high HG or SU scores had a lower prevalence of an unfavourable metabolic state than those with OW and low HG or SU results.