Glykeria Psarra

Central and total adiposity are lower in overweight and obese children with high cardiorespiratory fitness

Objective: To examine the influence of cardiorespiratory fitness on total and truncal fatness in children. It was hypothesised that high cardiorespiratory fitness would result in lower total and central obesity.Design: Observational cohort study.Setting: Primary and secondary schools in Athens, Greece.Subjects: A total of 1362 healthy children aged 6–13 y (742 boys and 620 girls).Methods: Anthropometric data (height, body mass, four skinfolds thickness) were collected and per cent body fat was calculated. Body mass index (BMI) sex- and age-specific cutoff points were used for overweight and obesity definition and children were placed in two groups: overweight/obese and nonoverweight. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) was assessed with the endurance shuttle-run test. Participants were grouped into high (upper two quintiles) and low (lower two quintiles) CRF based on age and sex distributions. T-test and Mann–Whitney test were used for comparisons between fit and unfit children within each BMI category.Results: Sum of skinfolds, subscapular and truncal skinfold thickness, BMI and per cent body fat were lower in overweight and obese youths with high CRF in comparison with youths at the same BMI category with low CRF (P<0.01). The beneficial effect of high CRF was also presented in nonoverweight children (P<0.01). The influence of CRF on body composition remained even after correcting body fatness for BMI.Conclusions: Central and total obesity were lower in overweight and obese children with high CRF. This is the first study to show that a high CRF may reduce the hazards of obesity in children.Sponsorship: None.

Inverse but independent trends in obesity and fitness levels among Greek children: a time-series analysis from 1997 to 2007.

Objective: We examined secular trends in physical fitness and BMI status in 8- to 9-year-old Greek children during an 11-year period (1997–2007). Methods: Population data derived from a yearly health survey performed in over 85% of Greek schools. Anthropometric measurements and physical fitness tests from 651,582 children were analyzed. The gender- and age-specific BMI cut-off points by the International Obesity Task Force were used to define overweight/obesity. Results: Aerobic performance decreased by 4.9% (p < 0.001) for boys and 4.4% (p < 0.001) for girls between 1997 and 2007 while obesity increased by approximately 50% in both genders (p < 0.001). Time-series analyses revealed that the increasing trends in obesity were independent of the reduction in fitness levels. An increase from 21% in 1997 to 48.2% in 2007 was observed in the prevalence of the low quartile of aerobic performance for girls (p < 0.001) and from 25.7% in 1997 to 38.7% in 2007 (p < 0.001) for boys. Approximately 80% and 85% of obese boys and girls, respectively, failed to pass the low quartile of all aerobic tests in 2007. Conclusions: Inverse but independent trends in obesity and fitness levels were observed among Greek children during an 11-year period (1997–2007), a fact that predisposes our children to serious health risks as they grow older.

Association of Anthropometric and Lifestyle Parameters with Fitness Levels in Greek Schoolchildren: Results from the EYZHN Program

Objective The aim of the study was to evaluate physical fitness (PF) and identify its anthropometric and lifestyle determinants in a sample of Greek schoolchildren. Methods The study sample consisted of 335,810 schoolchildren (♂: 51.3%, 6–18 years old). Students’ anthropometric parameters and PF levels—assessed via the Eurofit test battery—were measured by trained physical education teachers and evaluated according to the available norms, while their lifestyle habits were assessed through a questionnaire. Results In all applied PF tests, students’ performance was negatively associated with the presence of obesity and central obesity, defined through international criteria for body mass index and waist to height ratio, respectively. According to multiple logistic regression analysis, the presence of overweight/obesity [odds ratio (OR): 4.43, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.98–4.93], low adherence to the MD (KIDMED ≤ 3) (OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.09–1.48), and increased time spent in sedentary activities (>2 h per day) (OR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.03–1.29) were positively associated with poor PF, after adjusting for age and sex. In contrast, for every 1 day increase in the weekly frequency of engagement in athletic activity, the probability of poor PF decreased by 26% (OR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.72–0.77). In a similar model, the presence of central obesity emerged as an even stronger possible predictor of poor PF (OR: 5.20, 95% CI: 4.66–5.78), compared to the presence of general obesity. Conclusion Higher general or abdominal adiposity, as well as the adoption of a low-quality diet and a sedentary lifestyle, is strongly associated with low PF levels during childhood.

Current data in Greek children indicate decreasing trends of obesity in the transition from childhood to adolescence; results from the EYZHN (National Action for Children’s Health) program

Introduction The aim of the study is to present the most recent estimates of obesity (total and central) prevalence in Greek children and associated risk factors. Methods Population data are derived from a yearly, school-based health survey polled in 2015 on 336,014 (51% boys) children aged 4 to 17 years old from almost 40% of all schools of primary and secondary education in Greece. Anthropometric and physical fitness measurements were obtained by trained investigators. Dietary habits, physical activity status, sedentary activities and sleeping hours were assessed through self-completed questionnaires. The gender and age-specific Body Mass Index (BMI) cut-off points were used in order to define BMI groups. Results The prevalence of overweight and obesity in the whole population was 22.2% and 9.0% in boys and 21.6% and 7.5% in girls, respectively. Obesity presented decreasing trends in the transition from childhood to adolescence. Central obesity was diagnosed in 95.3% and 93.5% of the simple obese boys and girls, respectively, in almost two to three of overweight children (68.6% of boys and 64.3% of girls), and in 12% of normal weight children. Age, physical fitness, low adherence to Mediterranean diet, insufficient sleeping hours, inadequate physical activity levels and increased screen time were all associated with higher odds of total and central obesity. Conclusions Serious and urgent actions need to be taken from public health policy makers in order not only to prevent a further increase in obesity rates but, more important, to treat obesity and/or the obesity associated co-morbidities.

Poor dietary habits in Greek schoolchildren are strongly associated with screen time: results from the EYZHN (National Action for Children’s Health) Program

Background/objectivesTo investigate adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) and the relationship between MD and lifestyle factors in a representative sample of Greek school children.Subjects/methodsThe data derived from 232,401 (51% boys) children aged 8 to 17 years old who participated in a health survey (2015). Physical fitness (PF) and anthropometric estimations were obtained by trained investigators. Physical activity (PA) status, sedentary activities and sleeping hours were assessed through self-completed questionnaires. Mediterranean diet was evaluated via KIDMED test.ResultsForty percent of participants presented an optimal adherence to MD (≥8), while one to ten incorporated a low adherence to MD (≤3), in both genders. Participants with optimal adherence to MD presented a more favourable status in anthropometric and lifestyle characteristics. Adjusting for several potential confounders, increased screen time (<2 h/d) augmented odds of low adherence by 135% (95% CI: 2.216–2.491) and 150% (95% CI: 2.346–2.687), in boys and girls, respectively. For each 1-year enlarge in the age of children the odds of low adherence to MD enlarged by almost 11% (95%CI: 1.101–1.138) in both genders, while, boys had almost 6% increased probabilities to the low adherence (95%CI: 1.039, 1.102) than girls. Furthermore, insufficient sleeping hours (>2 h/d) and inadequate PA status were connected to higher odds of low adherence to MD.ConclusionsSupport a modest adherence to the MD and an enhancement considered necessary to adjust dietary intake to current guidelines. However, screen time presented a strong association with low adherence to MD.

Association of cardiorespiratory fitness levels with dietary habits and lifestyle factors in schoolchildren

This study examined the association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) levels and lifestyle factors in a representative sample of Greek schoolchildren. In 2015, a health survey was carried out in 177 091 participants 8-17 years of age. Dietary habits, sleeping hours, physical activity (PA), and sedentary activities were assessed through self-completed questionnaires. CRF was evaluated with a 20-m shuttle run test. Insufficient dietary habits were greater in boys and girls classified as having low CRF than in their peers with healthy CRF. Skipping breakfast (odds ratio (OR), 0.82; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.79-0.85), fast food consumption (OR, 0.70; 95% CI 0.68-0.72), and regular sweet intake (OR, 0.79; 95% CI 0.76-0.82) decreased the odds of having a healthy CRF level. An increase in age by 1 year (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.70-0.72), overweight/obesity (OR, 0.30; 95% CI 0.29-0.31), and insufficient sleep duration (OR, 0.74; 95% CI 0.72-0.76) decreased the odds of a healthy CRF level, whereas sufficient dietary habits and adequate PA levels increased a participants odds of having a healthy CRF level, by 48% and 40%, respectively. Although the mechanisms via which CRF may be influenced by dietary habits remain unclear, health policy-makers should consider opportunities for improving both CRF and dietary habits.