Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, but not sedentary time, predicts changes in cardiometabolic risk factors in 10-y-old children: the Active Smarter Kids Study,

Abstract

Cross-sectional data have suggested an inverse relation between physical activity and cardiometabolic risk factors that is independent of sedentary time. However, little is known about which subcomponent of physical activity may predict cardiometabolic risk factors in youths. We examined the independent prospective associations between objectively measured sedentary time and subcomponents of physical activity with individual and clustered cardiometabolic risk factors in healthy children aged 10 y. We included 700 children (49.1% males; 50.9% females) in which sedentary time and physical activity were measured with the use of accelerometry. Systolic blood pressure, waist circumference (WC), and fasting blood sample (total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, fasting insulin) were measured with the use of standard clinical methods and analyzed individually and as a clustered cardiometabolic risk score standardized by age and sex ( score). Exposure and outcome variables were measured at baseline and at follow-up 7 mo later. Sedentary time was not associated with any of the individual cardiometabolic risk factors or clustered cardiometabolic risk in prospective analyses. Moderate physical activity at baseline predicted lower concentrations of triglycerides ( = 0.021) and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance ( = 0.027) at follow-up independent of sex, socioeconomic status, Tanner stage, monitor wear time, or WC. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity ( = 0.043) and vigorous physical activity ( = 0.028) predicted clustered cardiometabolic risk at follow-up, but these associations were attenuated after adjusting for WC. Physical activity, but not sedentary time, is prospectively associated with cardiometabolic risk in healthy children. Public health strategies aimed at improving children's cardiometabolic profile should strive for increasing physical activity of at least moderate intensity rather than reducing sedentary time. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02132494.

The prospective association between objectively measured sedentary time, moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity and cardiometabolic risk factors in youth: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…Stamatakis et al . observed an inverse association between MVPA and SBP but that association was attenuated by adjustment of important covariates and baseline value of SBP, which corresponded with the four other studies reporting no prospective associations . However, some studies observed inverse associations in boys; Carson et al .…”

“…Sedentary time was unrelated to clustered cardiometabolic risk in prospective studies , even when accounting for MVPA, sleep and adiposity . In contrast, one study observed an unexpected beneficial association between sedentary time and clustered cardiometabolic risk, independent of MVPA .…”

“…Three studies reported no associations between baseline sedentary time and BP at follow‐up , but one study found an independent and beneficial association between both sedentary time and MVPA with follow‐up systolic BP (SBP) . Stamatakis et al .…”

Screen time, physical activity and cardiovascular risk factors in adolescents

“…These finds are consistent with results of previous studies [7][8][9][10][11][12]18 and reinforce that physical activity is associated to better profile of cardiovascular risk factors independently of sedentary time. Different from the others studies that mostly used accelerometers to estimate physical activity, in the present study pedometers were used.…”

“…Although some studies indicate independent associations of the time in physical activities (inverse) and in sedentary time Screen time, physical activity and cardiovascular risk factors in adolescents (direct) with health outcomes [3][4][5][6] , not all results are consistent. Some studies found independent association with health outcomes only to physical activity [7][8][9][10][11][12] and others only to sedentary time [13][14][15] . Most studies reported independent association or effect between one of the behavior and morbidity condition, just adjusting the analyses by the other behavior.…”