Abstract
Detailed associations between physical activity (PA) and body composition in preschoolers remain unclear. The aim of this study was to assess body composition among preschool children differentiated according to their levels of PA and to assess whether meeting the current PA recommendations is associated with a lower risk of obesity, determined by body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BFP). Free-living PA was measured using accelerometers for 7 days in children aged 5 to 6 years. Bioelectrical impedance analysis was used to estimate body composition. Significant differences in content of BFP, fat-free mass (FFM), and total body water (TBW) were found between boys meeting and not meeting moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) recommendations. Meeting the MVPA recommendation was associated with a twofold lower risk of obesity determined by BFP in boys but not in girls. In contrast, the total number of recommended steps per day was not related to adiposity in boys or girls. No statistically significant differences were observed in body composition indices and quintiles of MVPA. Boys in the 3rd–5th quintiles of steps per day presented significantly lower BFP and higher muscle mass and TBW than their peers in quintile 1. However, different associations were observed between body composition indices and quintiles of PA.
Highlights
Overweight and obesity in childhood is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century, having multiple adverse health consequences [1]
0.742 0.006 0.008 0.147 0.291 0.619 0.173 0.201
BFP—body fat percentage; FFM—fat-free mass; Me—median; MVPA—moderate-to-vigorous physical activity; TBW—total body water; significant associations are highlighted in bold
Summary
Overweight and obesity in childhood is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century, having multiple adverse health consequences [1]. Over 41 million children under 5 years of age are estimated to have excess body mass worldwide [2]. In Poland in 2016, the overall prevalence of overweight and obesity in children aged 5 to 6 years was 19.4% and 6.9%, respectively according to World Health Organization (WHO) definitions [3]. It is expected that a considerable fraction of these children with excessive body mass will become obese adults [4]. Early childhood is an important time frame that should be targeted by preventive strategies intended to reduce body fat, and decrease the risk of noncommunicable diseases.
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