Abstract
The aim of this school-based study was to identify the possible association between diet and physical activity, as well as the anthropometric, vascular, and gluco-lipid parameters. We administered two validated questionnaires for diet and physical activity (Food Frequency questionnaire (FFQ), Children-Physical Activity Questionnaire (PAQ-C)) to children at four primary schools in Verona South (Verona, Italy). Specific food intake, dietary pattern, and physical activity level expressed in Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) and PAQ-C score were inserted in multivariate linear regression models to assess the association with anthropometric, hemodynamic, and gluco-lipid measures. Out of 309 children included in the study, 300 (age: 8.6 ± 0.7 years, male: 50%; Obese (OB): 13.6%; High blood pressure (HBP): 21.6%) compiled to the FFQ. From this, two dietary patterns were identified: “healthy” and “unhealthy”. Direct associations were found between (i) “fast food” intake, Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV), and (ii) animal-derived fat and capillary cholesterol, while inverse associations were found between vegetable, fruit, and nut intake and capillary glucose. The high prevalence of OB and HBP and the significant correlations between some categories of food and metabolic and vascular parameters suggest the importance of life-style modification politics at an early age to prevent the onset of overt cardiovascular risk factors in childhood.
Highlights
Since childhood, the presence of cardiometabolic risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, high levels of cholesterol, and triglycerides [1] may lead to the development of an atherosclerotic fatty streak in the intima of arteries [2,3]
Diet is considered one of the major modifiable determinants of chronic diseases, with more and more scientific evidences supporting the fact that a “healthy” diet pattern could protect [5] a diet consisting of a daily intake of fruits and vegetables combined with a low consumption of salt, sugar, and saturated fat, in addition to industrially-produced-trans-fatty acids; this is still considered as a “high-quality”
We found higher consumption of vegetables in children categorized as normal well as in normotensive children compared to children with normal-high or High blood pressure (HBP) (Supplementary weight group, compared to the overweight and obese group (Supplementary Table S1), as well as in normotensive children compared to children with normal-high or HBP (Supplementary Table S2)
Summary
The presence of cardiometabolic risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, high levels of cholesterol, and triglycerides [1] may lead to the development of an atherosclerotic fatty streak in the intima of arteries [2,3]. Dietary habits and physical activity represent key points in the prevention of cardiovascular risk factors [6]. Diet is considered one of the major modifiable determinants of chronic diseases, with more and more scientific evidences supporting the fact that a “healthy” diet pattern could protect [5] a diet consisting of a daily intake of fruits and vegetables combined with a low consumption of salt, sugar, and saturated fat, in addition to industrially-produced-trans-fatty acids; this is still considered as a “high-quality”
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