HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ekelund, U. Articles by Froberg, K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ekelund, U. Articles by Froberg, K. Agricola Articles by Ekelund, U. Articles by Froberg, K.

Associations between objectively assessed physical activity and indicators of body fatness in 9- to 10-y-old European children: a population-based study from 4 distinct regions in Europe (the European Youth Heart Study)^1,2,3

¹ From the MRC Epidemiology Unit, Cambridge, United Kingdom (UE and SB); the Department of Physical Education and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden (UE); the Faculty of Human Movement, Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal (LBS); the Department of Sports Medicine, The Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education, Norway (SAA and LBA); the Department of Public Health, University of Tartu, Estonia (MH); the Diabetes and Arthritis Epidemiology Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, AZ (PWF); the Department of Exercise and Health Sciences, University of Bristol, United Kingdom (ARC); the London Sport Institute, Middlesex University, United Kingdom (CR); the Institute of Sport Science & Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark (SB and KF)

Background: The rising prevalence of obesity in children may be due to a reduction in physical activity (PA).

Objective: Our aim was to study the associations of objectively measured PA volume and its subcomponents with indicators of body fatness.

Design: A cross-sectional study of 1292 children aged 9–10 y from 4 distinct regions in Europe (Odense, Denmark; the island of Madeira, Portugal; Oslo; and Tartu, Estonia) was conducted. PA was measured by accelerometry, and indicators of body fatness were the sum of 5 skinfold thicknesses and body mass index (BMI; in kg/m²). We examined the associations between PA and body fatness by using general linear models adjusted for potential confounding variables.

Results: After adjustment for sex, study location, sexual maturity, birth weight, and parental BMI, time (min/d) spent at moderate and vigorous PA (P = 0.032) and time (min/d) spent at vigorous PA were significantly (P = 0.015) and independently associated with body fatness. Sex, study location, sexual maturity, birth weight, and parental BMI explained 29% (adjusted R² = 0.29) of the variation in body fatness. Time spent at vigorous PA explained an additional 0.5%. Children who accumulated <1 h of moderate PA/d were significantly fatter than were those who accumulated >2 h/d.

Conclusions: The accumulated amount of time spent at moderate and vigorous PA is related to body fatness in children, but this relation is weak; the explained variance was <1%.

Key Words: Accelerometry • adiposity • children • energy expenditure • physical activity • skinfold thickness • European Youth Heart Study

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. B. Sardinha, L. B. Andersen, S. A. Anderssen, A. L. Quiterio, R. Ornelas, K. Froberg, C. J. Riddoch, and U. Ekelund Objectively Measured Time Spent Sedentary Is Associated With Insulin Resistance Independent of Overall and Central Body Fat in 9- to 10-Year-Old Portuguese Children Diabetes Care, March 1, 2008; 31(3): 569 - 575. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. A. Meriwether, F. Lobelo, and R. R. Pate Themed Review: Clinical Interventions to Promote Physical Activity in Youth American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, February 1, 2008; 2(1): 7 - 25. [Abstract] [PDF]

				N. A. Hunnell, N. J. Rockcastle, K. N. McCormick, L. K. Sinko, E. L. Sullivan, and J. L. Cameron Physical activity of adult female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) across the menstrual cycle Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, June 1, 2007; 292(6): E1520 - E1525. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. P DeLany, G. A Bray, D. W Harsha, and J. Volaufova Energy expenditure and substrate oxidation predict changes in body fat in children. Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, October 1, 2006; 84(4): 862 - 870. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. L. Sullivan, F. H. Koegler, and J. L. Cameron Individual differences in physical activity are closely associated with changes in body weight in adult female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, September 1, 2006; 291(3): R633 - R642. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. R Ruiz, N. S Rizzo, A. Hurtig-Wennlof, F. B Ortega, J. Warnberg, and M. Sjostrom Relations of total physical activity and intensity to fitness and fatness in children: the European Youth Heart Study. Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, August 1, 2006; 84(2): 299 - 303. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				U. Ekelund, K. Ong, Y. Linne, M. Neovius, S. Brage, D. B Dunger, N. J Wareham, and S. Rossner Upward weight percentile crossing in infancy and early childhood independently predicts fat mass in young adults: the Stockholm Weight Development Study (SWEDES) Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, February 1, 2006; 83(2): 324 - 330. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Maffeis Level of physical activity and adiposity in children: relevance of sedentary behaviors Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, June 1, 2005; 81(6): 1449 - 1449. [Full Text] [PDF]

				U. Ekelund, S. Brage, L. B Sardhina, S. A Anderssen, L. B. Andersen, M. Harro, P. W Franks, A. R Cooper, C. Riddoch, and K. Froberg Reply to C Maffeis Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, June 1, 2005; 81(6): 1449 - 1450. [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Gutin, Z. Yin, M. C Humphries, and P. Barbeau Relations of moderate and vigorous physical activity to fitness and fatness in adolescents Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, April 1, 2005; 81(4): 746 - 750. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. M Styne Obesity in childhood: what's activity got to do with it? Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, February 1, 2005; 81(2): 337 - 338. [Full Text] [PDF]

				U. Ekelund, M. Neovius, Y. Linne, S. Brage, N. J Wareham, and S. Rossner Associations between physical activity and fat mass in adolescents: the Stockholm Weight Development Study Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, February 1, 2005; 81(2): 355 - 360. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]