Associations of active travel with adiposity among children and socioeconomic differentials: a longitudinal study

ObjectivesExamine longitudinal associations between modes of travel to school and adiposity.SettingThe UK.Participants8432 children surveyed at ages 7, 11 and 14 years from the UK Millennium Cohort Study.Primary and secondary outcomesObjective percentage body fat and body mass index (BMI). Transport mode was categorised as private motorised transport, public transport and active transport (walking or cycling). Socioeconomic position (SEP) was measured by household income group and occupational social class. We adjusted analyses for changes in the country of UK, frequency of eating breakfast, self-reported growth spurts, hours of screen time and days per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Longitudinal (panel) regression models adjusting for individual fixed effects examined associations in changes in mode of travel to school and adiposity, controlling for both time-varying and time-invariant potential confounders. Interaction tests and stratified analyses investigated differences by markers of SEP.ResultsAt age 14 years, 26.1% of children (2198) reported using private motorised transport, 35.3% (2979) used public transport and 38.6% (3255) used active transport to get to school. 36.6% (3083) of children changed mode two times between the three waves and 50.7% (4279) changed once. Compared with continuing to use private transport, switching to active transport was associated with a lower BMI (−0.21 kg/m2, 95% CI −0.31 to −0.10) and body fat (−0.55%, 95% CI −0.80% to −0.31%). Switching to public transport was associated with lower percentage body fat (−0.43%, 95% CI −0.75% to −0.12%), but associations with BMI did not reach statistical significance (−0.13 kg/m2, 95% CI −0.26 to 0.01). Interaction tests showed a trend for these effects to be stronger in more deprived groups, but these interactions did not reach statistical significance.ConclusionThis longitudinal study during a key life course period found switching to physically active forms of travel can have beneficial adiposity impacts; these associations may be more apparent for more disadvantaged children. Increasing active travel has potential to ameliorate inequalities.

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Vitamin D status in infancy and cardiometabolic health in adolescence

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition ◽

10.1093/ajcn/nqaa273 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 113 (1) ◽

pp. 104-112

Author(s):

Joshua Garfein ◽

Kerry S Flannagan ◽

Sheila Gahagan ◽

Raquel Burrows ◽

Betsy Lozoff ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vitamin D ◽

Body Fat ◽

Early Life ◽

Vitamin D Supplementation ◽

Lower Percentage ◽

Cardiometabolic Health ◽

Vitamin D Status ◽

Percentage Body Fat ◽

Hydroxyvitamin D ◽

25 Hydroxyvitamin D

ABSTRACT Background Vitamin D deficiency is associated with obesity-related conditions, but the role of early life vitamin D status on the development of obesity is poorly understood. Objectives We assessed whether serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] at age 1 y was related to metabolic health through adolescence. Methods We quantified serum 25(OH)D in samples obtained at age 1 y from 306 participants in a cohort study in Santiago, Chile. Anthropometry was performed at ages 5, 10, and 16/17 y. At 16/17 y, we determined body composition using DXA and quantified metabolic parameters in a blood sample. We examined the associations of infancy 25(OH)D with BMI-for-age z-score (BMIZ) at ages 5, 10, and 16/17 y; with percentage fat and percentage lean body mass at age 16/17 y; and with a metabolic syndrome (MetS) score and its components at age 16/17 y. Results Infancy 25(OH)D was inversely associated with BMIZ in childhood. Every 25-nmol/L difference in 25(OH)D was related to an adjusted 0.11 units lower BMIZ at age 5 y (95% CI: −0.20, −0.03; P = 0.01) and a 0.09 unit lower BMIZ change from ages 1 to 5 y (95% CI: −0.17, −0.01; P = 0.02). Also, every 25-nmol/L 25(OH)D in infancy was associated with an adjusted 1.3 points lower percentage body fat mass (95% CI: −2.2, −0.4; P = 0.005) and an adjusted 0.03 units lower MetS score (95% CI: −0.05, −0.01; P = 0.01) at age 16/17 y, through inverse associations with waist circumference and the HOMA-IR. Conclusions Serum 25(OH)D at age 1 y is inversely associated with childhood BMIZ, percentage body fat at age 16/17 y, and a MetS score at age 16/17 y. Intervention studies are warranted to examine the effects of vitamin D supplementation in early life on long-term cardiometabolic outcomes.

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Predictive value of percentage body fat in aging people with low muscle mass: A 2.2-year longitudinal study

Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics ◽

10.1016/j.archger.2019.02.005 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 82 ◽

pp. 167-171 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Yu-Jie Zhang ◽

Shi-Hui Fu ◽

Jing-Xin Wang ◽

Xin Zhao ◽

Qiang Zeng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Longitudinal Study ◽

Muscle Mass ◽

Body Fat ◽

Predictive Value ◽

Percentage Body Fat ◽

Aging People

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O41 Percentage body fat as a predictor for fragility fracture: an observational study

Rheumatology ◽

10.1093/rheumatology/keaa110.040 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 59 (Supplement_2) ◽

Author(s):

Dominic T Beith ◽

Marwan Bukhari

Keyword(s):

Bone Mineral Density ◽

Fracture Risk ◽

Body Mass ◽

Body Fat ◽

Bone Mineral ◽

Fragility Fracture ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Fragility Fractures ◽

Mineral Density ◽

Percentage Body Fat

Abstract Background A body mass index (BMI) of less than 19 is a known risk factor for the development of osteoporosis and thus increases the propensity of one having a fragility fracture. Bone mineral density (BMD) referrals are aided by the FRAX™ tool, which contains BMI in order to calculate the ten-year fracture risk. We aimed to investigate the effect of percentage body fat on risk of fracture referred for BMD estimation. Methods Between June 2004 and October 2015, patients were referred for bone mineral density (BMD) estimation in a scanner in the North West of England. All patients were referred with all FRAX™ indications including rheumatoid arthritis, excess alcohol, steroids, family history of fracture and secondary osteoporosis. The cohort was divided into quintiles of ascending body mass percentage. Logistical regression was then applied before adjusting for age at scan, gender and total left BMD comparing patients with a fracture and those that had not. Results 35,759 patients were referred for scanning during the period. 22,765 (63.66%) were referred for BMD estimation and had body fat percentage measured. Mean age at scan was 63.16 (SD 12.86) and 18,961 (88.29%) of the cohort were females. 8,072 (35.46%) had a fracture. More fractures were seen in higher quintiles of percentage body fat, 1,693 (20.97%) compared to 1,580 (19.57%) in females (p = <0.05). Predictors shown in the Table 1 below adjusted for age at scan, gender and total left BMD. Logistical regression of the quintiles after adjustment shows statistical significance in quintiles 3, 4 and 5 as well as for age at scan and total left BMD. Other predictors did not shows statistical significance p > 0.05. Conclusion Our study of 22,765 patients referred for BMD estimations opposes current literature on the effect of BMI on fragility fractures. The data shows that increasing percentage body fat in associated with an increased propensity of fragility fractures in those with BMI as a FRAX™ indicator. Currently percentage body fact is not featured in the FRAX™ tool and further work needs to be done to show the relationship between fracture risk and percentage body fat. Disclosures D.T. Beith: None. M. Bukhari: None.

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Perrcentage body fat and prevalence of obesity in a UK offshore population

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1079/bjn19860089 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 56 (1) ◽

pp. 97-104 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

I. M. Light ◽

M Gibson

Keyword(s):

Body Fat ◽

Body Height ◽

Age Groups ◽

Population Census ◽

Adult Males ◽

Percentage Body Fat ◽

Prevalence Of Obesity ◽

The Uk ◽

Index Weight ◽

Quetelet Index

1. Body-weight, body height and skinfold measurements were taken in 419 adult males working in the UK offshsore oil industry. Percentage body fat was estimated from skinfold thicknesses and the Quetelet index (weight: height2) determined.2. The prevalence of overweightness, assessed from the Quetelet index, in the age groups 20–29, 30–39 and 40–49 years was 31.6, 50.0 and 66.2% respectively. The Office of Population Census and Surveys (1981) showed that for age-matched groups, the incidence of overweightness in an onshore population was 26, 40 and 50% respectively.3. The percentage body fat for each respective age group was greater than that reported for an age-matched onshore population.4. The Quetelet index was significantly related to body fat (r 0.765, P < 0.0001) and poorly correlated with height, thus this weight: height relation may be utilized in the assessment of overweightness in offshore personnel.5. In conclusion it appears that the offshore population had a higher percentage body fat than their onshore peers and that the prevalence of overweightness was also greater.

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The assessment of the body fat percentage by skinfold thickness measurements in childhood and young adolescence

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1079/bjn19900116 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 63 (2) ◽

pp. 293-303 ◽

Cited By ~ 204

Author(s):

Paul Deurenberg ◽

John J. L. Pieters ◽

Joseph G. A. J. Hautvast

Keyword(s):

Body Fat ◽

Prediction Error ◽

Fat Distribution ◽

Body Fat Distribution ◽

The Body ◽

Lower Percentage ◽

Body Density ◽

Fat Percentage ◽

Percentage Body Fat ◽

Pubertal Boys

The relationship of skinfold thicknesses to body density and of skinfold thicknesses to densitometrically determined body fat was evaluated in a group of 378 boys and girls, aged 7–20 years. According to their maturation level, they were divided into a prepubertal, a pubertal and a post-pubertal group. In each maturation group boys were older, had higher body-weights and body heights, higher body densities, lower percentage body fat, higher waist:hips ratios and higher trunk:total skinfolds ratios than girls. Body density in each maturation level could be quite precisely predicted by skinfold thicknesses. In prepubertal and pubertal boys and girls but not in post-pubertal boys and girls, age was also an important predicting variable for body density. The assessment of percentage body fat from skinfold thicknesses had a prediction error of 3–5 %, which was highest in the prepubertal children. The prediction error is comparable to the prediction error of percentage body fat from skinfold thicknesses in adults, as reported in the literature. Only in post-pubertal boys and girls was the waist:hip ratio correlated with measures of body fatness. Moreover, only in the post-pubertal boys and in the pubertal and post-pubertal girls was the waist:hips ratio correlated with another measure of body fat distribution, the trunk:total skinfold ratio. The relative amount of internal body fat was found to be higher in the younger maturation groups. It is concluded that at younger ages the waist:hips ratio is a poor indicator of body fat distribution.

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Postpubertal Development of Total and Abdominal Percentage Body Fat: An 8-Year Longitudinal Study

Obesity ◽

10.1038/oby.2008.349 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 16 (10) ◽

pp. 2342-2347 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Anna Nordström ◽

Martin G. Neovius ◽

Stephan Rössner ◽

Peter Nordström

Keyword(s):

Longitudinal Study ◽

Body Fat ◽

Percentage Body Fat

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Reciprocal Longitudinal Relationship Between Fitness, Fatness, and Metabolic Syndrome in Brazilian Children and Adolescents: A 3-Year Longitudinal Study

Pediatric Exercise Science ◽

10.1123/pes.2020-0197 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 33 (2) ◽

pp. 74-81

Author(s):

Cézane Priscila Reuter ◽

Caroline Brand ◽

João Francisco de Castro Silveira ◽

Letícia de Borba Schneiders ◽

Jane Dagmar Pollo Renner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Metabolic Syndrome ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Body Fat ◽

Fat Body ◽

Density Lipoprotein ◽

Skinfold Thickness ◽

School Students ◽

Percentage Body Fat ◽

Cholesterol Ratio

Purpose: To verify the reciprocal longitudinal relationships between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), percentage body fat (%body fat), and metabolic syndrome in Brazilian primary school students. Method: This longitudinal study involved 420 children and adolescents followed for 3 years (2011–2014). The continuous Metabolic Syndrome (cMetSyn) score was calculated by summing adjusted z scores of glucose, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, triglycerides, and waist circumference. The CRF was assessed using running/walking tests, and %body fat was assessed through sex-specific 2-site skinfold thickness. Cross-lagged panel models were used to analyze longitudinal reciprocal relationships between CRF and %body fat with cMetSyn. Results: Results indicated that 2011 %body fat significantly predicted both 2014 CRF scores and 2014 cMetSyn scores (P < .001); however, 2011 CRF only predicted 2014 %body fat (P < .001) but not 2014 cMetSyn (P = .103). Furthermore, 2011 cMetSyn predicted 2014 %body fat (P = .002). The model explained 36%, 48%, and 37% of the variance in 2014 CRF, %body fat, and cMetSyn, respectively. Conclusion: The results suggest a reciprocal inverse relationship between %body fat and metabolic syndrome risk and that %body fat may play a more important role in the risk of developing metabolic syndrome compared with CRF.

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Anthropometrics and Body Composition Predict Physical Performance and Selection to Attend Special Forces Training in United States Army Soldiers

Military Medicine ◽

10.1093/milmed/usab315 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Emily K Farina ◽

Lauren A Thompson ◽

Joseph J Knapik ◽

Stefan M Pasiakos ◽

James P McClung ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Composition ◽

Physical Performance ◽

Body Mass ◽

Body Fat ◽

Fat Mass ◽

Lean Mass ◽

Effect Sizes ◽

Lower Percentage ◽

Special Forces ◽

Percentage Body Fat

ABSTRACT Introduction Anthropometrics and body composition characteristics differentiate many types of athletes and are related to performance on fitness tests and tasks in military personnel. Soldiers competing to enter elite units must demonstrate physical fitness and operational competence across multiple events. Therefore, this study determined whether anthropometrics and body composition predicted physical performance and selection for special forces training among soldiers attending the rigorous Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) course. Materials and Methods Soldiers attending the SFAS course between May 2015 and March 2017 were enrolled in a longitudinal, observational study. Anthropometrics (height, body mass, and body mass index [BMI]; n = 795) and body composition measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (percentage body fat, fat mass, lean mass, bone mineral content [BMC], and bone mineral density [BMD]; n = 117) were assessed before the course start. Associations with physical performance were determined with correlation coefficients. Associations with selection were determined with analyses of variance and t-tests; effect sizes were calculated as Cohen’s d. The U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine Institutional Review Board (IRB) initially approved this study, and the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command IRB approved the continuing review. Results Lower percentage body fat and fat mass predicted better performance on all assessments: Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), pull-ups, SFAS run, loaded road march, obstacle course, and land navigation (P ≤ .05). Higher lean mass predicted better performance on the loaded road march (P ≤ .05). Lower body mass and BMI predicted better performance on APFT, pull-ups, run, and obstacle course; higher body mass and BMI predicted better performance on the loaded road march (P ≤ .05). Shorter stature predicted better performance on push-ups (APFT) and pull-ups; taller stature predicted better performance on SFAS run and loaded road march (P ≤ .05). On average, the selected soldiers were taller (179.0 ± 6.6 vs. 176.7 ± 6.7 cm), had higher body mass (85.8 ± 8.8 vs. 82.1 ± 9.6 kg), BMI (26.8 ± 2.2 vs. 26.3 ± 2.6 kg/m2), lean mass (67.2 ± 7.3 vs. 61.9 ± 7.6 kg), BMC (3.47 ± 0.40 vs. 3.29 ± 0.56 kg), and BMD (1.34 ± 0.10 vs. 1.28 ± 0.10 g/cm2), and lower percentage body fat (17.3 ± 3.4 vs. 20.1 ± 4.5%) and fat mass (14.2 ± 3.7 vs. 15.8 ± 4.4 kg) (P ≤ .05). Effect sizes were largest for lean mass (Cohen’s d = 0.71) and percentage body fat (d = 0.70), followed by BMD (d = 0.60), body mass (d = 0.40), fat mass (d = 0.39), BMC (d = 0.37), height (d = 0.35), and BMI (d = 0.21). Body mass adjustment attenuated associations between height and selection. Conclusions Anthropometrics and body composition are predictors of physical performance and SFAS success. Since these measures are modifiable (excluding height), they may be the focus of intervention studies aiming to improve performance in arduous military training courses, sports that require competition in multiple events, and occupations that have varied physical demands, such as firefighting, law enforcement, and construction.

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