Body Fat Mediates Association between Active Living and Health among Adolescents

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the association of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and organized leisure-time activities with self-rated health among adolescents and whether these associations are mediated by body fat percentage. We used data on 888 adolescents (mean age 12.97, SD 1.20, 56.0% boys) from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study conducted in 2018 in Slovakia. We used logistic regression models to examine associations within self-reported data (moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and organized leisure-time activities with self-rated health) and their mediation by anthropometric data (body fat percentage). The adolescents who were sufficiently physically active and with normal body fat were more likely to report good or excellent health (odds ratios—OR/95% confidence intervals—95% CI: 3.52/1.50–8.27 and 3.66/2.37–5.68). Similarly, the adolescents who were engaged in individual/team sport and with normal body fat were more likely to report good or excellent health (OR/95% CI: 2.04/1.31–3.17 and 3.66/2.37–5.68). Adjustment for body fat percentage reduced the association between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and self-rated health by 27.6% and the association between leisure-time activities and self-rated health by 30.7%. Active living and normal body fat might contribute to better health in adolescence. Programs and efforts to increase physical activity and leisure-time activities in childhood and adolescence need to identify which aspects of these activities are important, effective, and crucial for the population of adolescents.

Comparison of Primary School Pupils’ and Secondary School Students’ Opinions on Physical Education Classes in Slovakia

“…The results of this research are supported by claims of these experts: Bebcakova (1998), Adamcak, Nemec (2010), Nemec, Nemcová (2012, Stranavska, Gorner (2018), Dlouhy et al (2018, Kaminska et al (2018). Their works mostly focus on the interest of pupils in terms of the popularity of physical activities on the PE classes.…”

Effect of Physical Activity on Obesity in Second Stage Pupils of Elementary Schools in Northwest Bohemia

“…Clearly, no markedly different, higher-risk values were found in the second-stage pupils of the selected elementary schools in northwest Bohemia compared to the data of the "Children's Health 2016" [59]. For example, these findings have been demonstrated by 48 Hainer [3], Lobstein et al [69] and Stranavska et al [70] who emphasized regular physical activity as a major factor of health and of a healthy lifestyle for maintaining the functions of the body and also as one of the obesity prevention factors. It is also important to realize that physical activity, particularly on the level of fitness training, is now becoming a compensation of insufficient physical strain and mental pressure as a consequence of the contemporary predominantly sedentary way of life.…”