Lifestyle associated with physical fitness related to health and cardiometabolic risk factors in Chilean schoolchildren

Abstract

BackgroundExcessive screen time (ST) and lower physical activity (PA) patterns have been reported to have an impact on cardiometabolic risk (CMR); however, their impact on physical fitness needs in-depth study. ObjectiveTo determine the association between lifestyle (i.e. ST and PA after school) with physical fitness related to health and CMR (i.e. abdominal obesity and hypertension) in Chilean schoolchildren. MethodsThe sample for this cross-sectional study comprised 263 girls (11.87±0.83 years) and 319 boys (12.02±0.88 years). The body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist to height ratio (WtHR), CMR (WtHR≥0.5), body fat (BF), systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), physical fitness, ST (h/day), and PA after school (h/week) were evaluated. ResultsSchoolchildren with good lifestyle had a lower BMI, WC, and WtHR (P<0.001) as well as a better VO2max (P<0.001) and standing long jump test (SLJ) (P=0.002). The schoolchildren with bad lifestyle had the highest proportion of students with abdominal obesity (WtHR≥0.5) (30.6%, P=0.009) and hypertension. (40.9%, P<0.001). Likewise, PA after school (β; −0.02, P=0.002) and cardiorespiratory fitness (β; −0.02, P=0.002) adjusted by age and sex reported inverse associations with abdominal obesity (WtHR≥0.5). Likewise, ST presented a positive association with SBP (β; 0.14, P=0.030). Moreover, handgrip strength (β; −0.17, P=0.010) and SLJ (β; −0.05, P=0.023) reported inverse associations with SBP. ConclusionIn schoolchildren, a bad lifestyle was associated with low physical fitness related to health and CMR (i.e. abdominal obesity and hypertension).