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Diet, physical activity may influence adrenarche markers in prepubertal children
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Prepubertal children who consume more low-fiber grain products and vegetable proteins and fewer sugar-sweetened beverages and who participate less in vigorous physical activity are more likely to have a higher serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate concentration, a marker for biochemical adrenarche, according to findings reported in Clinical Endocrinology.
In a cross-sectional analysis, researchers also found that higher energy intake and lower levels of total, moderate and moderate to vigorous physical activity and higher total sedentary behavior were all associated with a higher serum insulin-like growth factor I concentration.
Aino Mantyselka, MD, of the department of pediatrics at the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital in Kuopio, Finland, and colleagues analyzed data from 431 prepubertal children aged 6 to 9 years who participated in the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children study, an ongoing, controlled physical activity and dietary intervention study in primary school children in Finland (207 girls; mean age, 8 years; 13% overweight or obese). Researchers assessed serum DHEA sulfate and serum IGF-I concentrations, as well as body fat percentage and lean body mass via DXA. Food consumption and total energy and nutrient intake were assessed by food diaries recorded by parents. Physical activity and sedentary behavior were assessed with a combined heart rate and movement monitor for 4 consecutive days and via questionnaire. Researchers used linear regression analysis to examine the association between dietary factors, physical activity and sedentary behavior with serum DHEA sulfate and IGF-I concentrations, adjusted for sex, age, body fat percentage and lean body mass.
Within the cohort, 65 children (29 girls) had biochemical adrenarche, indicated by a serum DHEA sulfate concentration of at least 40 µg/dL, whereas 16 children had premature adrenarche.
After adjustment, researchers found that children who consumed more low-fiber grain products and fewer sugar-sweetened beverages were more likely to have a higher DHEA sulfate concentration. Additionally, higher intake of vegetable protein was associated with higher DHEA sulfate concentration. Higher energy intake was associated with higher serum IGF-I concentrations.
When assessing physical activity and sedentary behavior, researchers observed that lower levels of vigorous physical activity were associated with higher DHEA sulfate and serum IGF-I concentrations. There was no link between DHEA sulfate and sedentary behavior; however, researchers found higher levels of awake-time sedentary behavior was associated with higher IGF-I levels.
Researchers found that eating frequency, food consumption, nutrient intake, physical activity and sedentary behavior were not associated with biochemical adrenarche.
“Although adiposity plays a major role in the development of adrenarche, our results show that dietary factors, physical activity and sedentary behavior have weak to moderate associations with serum DHEAS and IGF-I levels in prepubertal children,” the researchers wrote. “The associations of dietary factors and serum DHEAS and IGF-I levels tend to be partly independent of body fat percentage, whereas those of physical activity and sedentary behavior seem to be explained by adiposity. However, based on this and several previous studies, the most effective way to control adrenal androgen secretion is to prevent overweight.” – by Regina Schaffer
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
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