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Vigorous physical activity and longitudinal associations with cardiometabolic risk factors in youth

Abstract

Objective:

To examine the longitudinal associations between different physical activity (PA) intensities and cardiometabolic risk factors among a sample of Canadian youth.

Methods:

The findings are based on a 2-year prospective cohort study in a convenience sample of 315 youth aged 9–15 years at baseline from rural and urban schools in Alberta, Canada. Different intensities (light, moderate and vigorous) of PA were objectively assessed with Actical accelerometers. The main outcome measures were body mass index (BMI) z-score, waist circumference, cardiorespiratory fitness and systolic blood pressure at 2-year-follow-up and conditional BMI z-score velocity. A series of linear regression models were conducted to investigate the associations after adjusting for potential confounders.

Results:

At follow-up, cardiorespiratory fitness increased (quartile 1 vs quartile 4=43.3 vs 50.2; Ptrend<0.01) and waist circumference decreased (quartile 1 vs quartile 4=79.0 vs 72.6; Ptrend=0.04; boys only) in a dose-response manner across quartiles of baseline vigorous-intensity PA. A similar trend was observed for systolic blood pressure (quartile 1 vs quartile 4=121.8 vs 115.3; Ptrend=0.07; boys only). Compared with quartile 1 of vigorous-intensity PA, BMI z-score at follow-up and conditional BMI z-score velocity were significantly lower in the quartile 2 and 3 (P<0.05). Waist circumference at follow-up also decreased (quartile 1 vs quartile 4=75.3 vs 73.8; Ptrend=0.04) across quartiles of baseline moderate-intensity PA.

Conclusions:

Time spent in vigorous-intensity PA was associated with several positive health outcomes 2 years later. These findings suggest that high-intensity activities in youth help to reduce the risk for several chronic diseases.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the children and families involved in the Healthy Hearts Prospective Cohort Study, the participating schools within the Black Gold School District, in particular, Lynn Bonnah, Leslie Daigneault and Cheryl Hafso for the time and dedication to this project. This study was supported by operating grants from the Canadian Diabetes Association, The Alberta Centre for Child, Family and Community Research, Alberta Education, Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) as the initial funder and interdisciplinary catalyst for the initial Healthy Hearts research project (2003–2006) and an establishment grant from the Manitoba Health Research Council. Carson was supported by a CIHR—Frederick Banting and Charles Best Doctoral Award. Majumdar holds an Endowed Chair in Patient Health Management (supported by the Faculties of Medicine and Dentistry and Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Alberta) and is a Health Scholar (supported by the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research and Alberta Innovates—Health Solutions). McGavock is a Canadian Diabetes Association Scholar, CIHR New Investigator and holds The Robert Wallace Cameron Chair in Evidence-based Child Health; Veugelers holds a Tier II Canada Research Chair in School-based Child Health.

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Carson, V., Rinaldi, R., Torrance, B. et al. Vigorous physical activity and longitudinal associations with cardiometabolic risk factors in youth. Int J Obes 38, 16–21 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2013.135

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