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Little exercise, too much TV boost cardiometabolic risk in children
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Low levels of physical activity and high use of electronic media are independent risk factors for type 2 diabetes in children, but the two combined further increase cardiometabolic risk, according to research published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.
A cross-sectional design study conducted by Juuso Väistö, a researcher at the Institute of Biomedicine/Physiology, University of Eastern Finland, and colleagues looked at data from 468 children aged 6 to 8 years to determine the effects of physical activity and sedentary behavior on cardiometabolic risk.
Data on physical activity and sedentary behavior were collected through questionnaires administered by parents and validated by a monitor combining heart rate and accelerometry measurements. The researchers assessed body fat percentage and waist circumference, as well as blood glucose, serum insulin, plasma lipids, lipoproteins and blood pressure. Cardiometabolic risk score was quantified using population-specific z scores and a formula based on waist circumference, glucose, insulin, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol and average systolic and diastolic BPs. Multivariate linear regression models were used to analyze data.
After adjusting for age and gender, inverse associations were observed between total physical activity and cardiometabolic risk score (P=.004), body fat percentage (P<.001), insulin (P=.034), triglycerides (P<.001), VLDL triglycerides (P<.001), VLDL cholesterol (P=.001), LDL cholesterol (P=.046) and HDL triglycerides (P=.004). Total physical activity was directly related to HDL cholesterol (P=.002).
Unstructured physical activity also was inversely associated with the cardiometabolic risk score (P=.01), body fat percentage (P=.027), insulin (P=.021), triglycerides (P=.002), VLDL triglycerides (P<.001) and VLDL cholesterol (P<.001), and had a direct relation to HDL cholesterol (P=.008).
Increased cardiometabolic risk was directly linked to watching TV and videos (P=.003), body fat percentage (P=.039), waist circumference (P=.033) and systolic BP (P=.039).
Direct associations also were seen between resting and cardiometabolic risk score (P=.049), triglycerides (P=.005), VLDL triglycerides (P=.009), VLDL cholesterol (P=.004) and LDL cholesterol (P=.023).
Less consistent associations were observed between other types of physical activity and sedentary behavior and cardiometabolic risk, according to the study. The researchers acknowledged limitations in drawing conclusions about causality or temporal order and controlling confounding factors, but they found the data compelling overall.
“The results of our study emphasize increasing total and unstructured physical activity, decreasing watching TV and videos and other sedentary behaviors and avoiding unhealthy eating to reduce cardiometabolic risk among children,” researchers wrote.
Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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