Relation between Dietary Habits, Physical Activity, and Anthropometric and Vascular Parameters in Children Attending the Primary School in the Verona South District

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.

Relationships between Dietary Patterns and Indices of Arterial Stiffness and Central Arterial Wave Reflection in 9–11-Year-Old Children

“…Although dietary patterns are reported to be associated with PWV and AIx in a high-risk population of children and adolescents (obese, high blood pressure, diabetic) [29,30], there was no such evidence in our dominantly normal weight children. Similar to our findings, dietary patterns (healthy and unhealthy) were not associated with PWV in a sample of 7-10-year-old Italian children [31]. The absence of the association between dietary pattern scores and PWV and AIx in the current study could be due to the fact that changes to functional and structural characteristics of arteries in asymptomatic populations are a slow process.…”

Fatty Acid Profile and Desaturase Activities in 7–10-Year-Old Children Attending Primary School in Verona South District: Association between Palmitoleic Acid, SCD-16, Indices of Adiposity, and Blood Pressure

“…Iv Revisione dei Livelli di Assunzione di Riferimento di Nutrienti ed Energia per la Popolazione Italiana (Larn). Available online at http://www.sinu.it/html/pag/tabelle_larn_2014_rev.asp] as previously reported [9]. In the present study, the carbohydrate intake, expressed as the percentage of the total energy intake, and the total energy intake were inserted into a linear regression analysis as cofounding variables, because of the influence of these variables on the SCD-16 activity [21].…”

“…The results about the prevalence of overweight, obesity, high BP, other anthropometric and metabolic phenotypes, and dietary habits derived from the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) in the whole sample are presented in a previous report [9].…”

“…Association of diet to diseases needed to be determined through different approaches because the diet is a complex exposure variable [45]. For more details, we refer to the previous report [9]. Data from FFQ were converted into energy intake (kcal/die) and carbohydrate intake (gr/die).…”

Determinants of childhood blood pressure using structure equation model: the CASPIAN–V study

“…Scientific evidences reveal the fact that a healthy diet pattern 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, is associated with a better cardio-metabolic profile both in adults and in children [34,35]. High BP inchildren could be prevented or modified by correcting the inappropriate behaviors and unhealthy lifestyle [36]. Therefore, childhood is an important period for interventions to improve lifestyle to minimize long-term metabolic abnormalities.…”