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. 2013 Jun;162(6):1169-74.
doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2012.11.071. Epub 2013 Jan 8.

Which contributes more to childhood adiposity-high levels of sedentarism or low levels of moderate-through-vigorous physical activity? The Iowa Bone Development Study

Soyang Kwon  1 , Trudy L Burns, Steven M Levy, Kathleen F Janz
Affiliations

Which contributes more to childhood adiposity-high levels of sedentarism or low levels of moderate-through-vigorous physical activity? The Iowa Bone Development Study

Soyang Kwon et al. J Pediatr. 2013 Jun.

Abstract

Objective: To examine the relative importance of sedentarism and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for adiposity development in children and adolescents.

Study design: A total of 277 boys and 277 girls (95% white; two-thirds of parents with college graduation or higher education) from the Iowa Bone Development Cohort Study completed body fat and accelerometry measurement at examinations of 8, 11, 13, and/or 15 years of age (during 2000-2009). The main exposure was accelerometry-measured sedentary time, frequency of breaks in sedentary time, and moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity time. The outcome was dual energy x-ray absorptiometry-measured body fat mass.

Results: Adjusted for age, height, physical maturity, and sedentary time, growth models showed that high moderate-to-vigorous physical activity time was associated with low body fat mass in both boys (coefficient β=-0.10±0.02) and girls (β=-0.05±0.01; P<.01). However, sedentary time and frequency of breaks in sedentary time were not associated with body fat mass.

Conclusions: This study does not support an independent effect of sedentarism on adiposity. The preventive effect of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity on adiposity in children and adolescents remained strong after adjusting for the effect of sedentarism.

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