Birthweight, body composition, and motor performance in 7- to 10-year-old children

Birth weight and nutritional status in school-age children from Boane city, Mozambique

BACKGROUND

Birth weight is considered an important marker of inadequate maternal nutrition, and it is a critical indicator of the newborn's health and development.

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluated the influence of low birth weight (LBW) on body composition in 7-10-year-old school children from Boane City-Mozambique.

METHODS

A total of 220 children (female = 122 and male = 98) were divided into two groups according to their birth weight (LBW, n = 41; and normal birth weight, NBW, n = 179). Anthropometric indicators of nutritional status were analyzed by the indices weight-for-age, height-for-age, BMI-for-age, and weight-for-height.

RESULTS

LBW children showed reduced skinfolds, and weight-for-height when compared to NBW children. Birth weight was positively associated with all anthropometric variables, except for BMI, which was not associated with any other variable. The r2 value ranged from .09 (weight-for-age) to .72 (height-for-age). For body composition variables, older children had higher fat mass (β = .26; 95% CI = 0.05-0.48) and fat-free mass (β = 1.10; 95% CI = 0.71-1.48), and boys had lower fat percentage (β = -3.49; 95% CI = -4.35 to -2.65) and fat mass (β = -.92; 95% CI = -1.31 to -0.55) than girls. Birth weight was also positively associated with fat-free mass.

CONCLUSION

LBW seems to influence some growth indicators of children living in Boane, however, current environmental factors seem to weaken this association. Our results suggest that public policies involving healthy nutrition and physical activity can reverse the effects of low weight in children from Boane.

The Similarity Degree of the Anthropometric and Body Composition Variables of Brazilian and Mozambican Schoolchildren: A New Approach Using the Smoothed Jaccard Index Surface

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Brazil and Mozambique face similar socioeconomic challenges, including common indicators of undernutrition and overnutrition among children. This study evaluated the similarity degree of the anthropometric and body composition variables of Brazilian and Mozambican children by using the Jaccard index.

METHODS

A total of 1831 children of both genders aged 7-10 years from three Brazilian cities (Recife, Vitoria de Santo Antao, and Lagoa do Carro) and three Mozambican cities (Maputo, Boane, and Inhambane) participated in this study. Anthropometric (height, body mass, and waist circumference) and body composition (body fat percentage [%BF], lean mass, and fat mass) variables were measured and the Smoothed Jaccard Index Surface (SJIS) was used to evaluate the similarity degree.

RESULTS

Brazilian children were taller and heavier and had a higher %BF and fat mass than Mozambican children. Children living in urban areas were taller than those living in rural zones in both countries. Brazilian and Mozambican children showed high similarity only between %BF and lean mass. Children from Recife and Maputo had high similarities among waist circumference, body mass, fat mass, height, and %BF. Finally, a high SJIS degree was observed among height and %BF for schoolchildren from rural and urban zones.

CONCLUSION

Brazilian and Mozambican children exhibit differences in growth characteristics but a high degree of similarity when children from rural and urban zones are compared.

Daily consumption of ultra-processed foods and cardiometabolic risk factors in children aged 7 to 10 years in Northeast Brazil

Background: Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) consumption is associated with pediatric overweight and obesity. Aim: To evaluate the UPFs consumption in children classified either as eutrophic or with excess weight (overweight and obesity). It was also described the fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and the correlation between UPFs consumption and cardiometabolic risk factors. Methods: A total of 139 children aged 7-10years of both sexes, living in Northeast Brazil were classified as eutrophic (n = 65) or excess weight (n = 62). Waist circumference (WC), percentage of body fatness (% BF), fat-free-mass and fat mass were evaluated. Fasting blood sample were collected for biochemical analysis. Food consumption was classified according to the degree of processing. Results: Children with excess weight had a reduction in plasma HDL concentration (45.00; IQR:36.00-54.50 mg/dL vs. 40.00; IQR:35.75-45.25 mg/dL; p = 0.021) and an increase in blood glucose (82.00; IQR:79.00-86.00 mg/dL vs. 86.00; IQR:81.00-90.00 mg/dL; p < 0.001) and TG (64.00; IQR:45.00-92.50 mg/dL vs. 81.00; IQR:57.50-111.75 mg/dL; p < 0.021) when compared with the eutrophic children. UPFs accounted for 43.43% of the total calories consumed by children. Children with excess weight had higher total energy consumption resulting from consumption of UPFs (714.30 ± 26.32 kcal vs. 848.06 ± 349.46 kcal; p = 0.011). The absolute consumption of the UPFs showed a positive correlation with WC (r = 0.202; p = 0.023) and %BF (r = 0.198; p = 0.026). Conclusion: UPFs consumption was higher for children with excess weight and positively correlated with two cardiometabolic risk factors, suggesting the need for strengthening public policies that discourage the consumption of these foods.

Associations of weight and body composition at birth with body composition and cardiometabolic markers in children aged 10 y: the Ethiopian infant anthropometry and body composition birth cohort study

BACKGROUND

Although birth weight (BW) has been associated with later cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, the role of birth fat mass (BFM) and birth fat-free mass (BFFM) on cardiometabolic health is unclear.

OBJECTIVES

To examine associations of BW, BFM, and BFFM with later anthropometry, body composition, abdominal fat, and cardiometabolic markers.

METHODS

Birth cohort data on standardized exposure variables (BW, BFM, and BFFM) and follow-up information at age 10 y on anthropometry, body composition, abdominal fat, and cardiometabolic markers were included. A linear regression analysis was used to assess associations of exposures with outcome variables, adjusting for maternal and child characteristics at birth and current body size in separate models.

RESULTS

Among 353 children, mean (SD) age was 9.8 (1.0) y, and 51.5% were boys. In the fully adjusted model, 1-SD higher BW and BFFM were associated with 0.81 cm (95% CI: 0.21, 1.41 cm) and 1.25 cm (95% CI: 0.64, 1.85 cm) greater height at 10 y, respectively. The 1-SD higher BW and BFM were associated with 0.32 kg/m2 (95% CI: 0.14, 0.51 kg/m2) and 0.42 kg/m2 (95% CI: 0.25, 0.59 kg/m2) greater fat mass index at 10 y, respectively. In addition, 1-SD higher BW and BFFM were associated with 0.22 kg/m2 (95% CI: 0.09, 0.34 kg/m2) greater FFM index, whereas a 1-SD greater BFM was associated with a 0.05 cm greater subcutaneous adipose tissue (95% CI: 0.01, 0.11 cm). Furthermore, 1-SD higher BW and BFFM were associated with 10.3% (95% CI: 1.4%, 20.0%) and 8.3% (95% CI: -0.5%, 17.9%) greater insulin, respectively. Similarly, 1-SD higher BW and BFFM were associated with 10.0% (95% CI: 0.9%, 20.0%) and 8.5% (95% CI: -0.6%, 18.5%) greater homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

BW and BFFM rather than BFM are predictors of height and FFM index at 10 y. Children with higher BW and BFFM showed higher insulin concentrations and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance at 10 y of age. This trial was registered at ISRCTN as ISRCTN46718296.

Maternal Testosterone Concentrations in Third Trimester and Offspring Handgrip Strength at 5 Years: Odense Child Cohort

BACKGROUND

Maternal testosterone in pregnancy may have conditioning effects on offspring muscle strength.

PURPOSE

To investigate possible associations between maternal testosterone concentrations in third trimester and offspring handgrip strength (HGS) at 5 years.

METHODS

In the prospective, population-based Odense Child Cohort, total testosterone (TT) at gestational week 27-28 and 5-year HGS were measured in 1017 mother-child pairs. TT was measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and free testosterone (FT) was calculated from TT and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). Multivariable regression analyses were performed with HGS < 10th percentile as cutoff for low HGS.

RESULTS

Third-trimester FT concentration was 0.004 (0.002-0.007) nmol/L, geometric mean (mean - SD; mean + SD). The mean (SD) 5-year HGS was 8.7 (1.8) kg in boys and 8.1 (1.7) kg in girls (P < 0.001). Higher FT concentrations were associated with lower HGS (β = -0.186, P = 0.048), after adjustment for maternal age, parity, offspring sex, and 5-year height and weight. FT > 0.004 nmol/L was associated with higher risk of 5-year HGS < 10th percentile with odds ratios (95% CI) of 1.58 (1.01, 2.47; P = 0.047; n = 1,017) and 1.69 (1.05, 2.74; P = 0.032) after further adjustment for children's organized sports in subgroup analysis (n = 848). Lower HGS in relation to higher FT concentrations was found in all linear models but was not always statistically significant. HGS was not associated with maternal TT and SHBG levels.

CONCLUSION

Third trimester FT was inversely associated with offspring muscle strength assessed by HGS at 5 years of age, which may suggest a negative effect of maternal FT on offspring muscle strength.

Development and validation of a food frequency questionnaire for children aged 7 to 10 years

ABSTRACT Objective Food and nutritional evaluation of children can support public policies to combat early overweight and obesity. This study developed and validated a quantitative food frequency questionnaire for assessing the dietary intake of children. Methods This is a cross-sectional study of the development of a food frequency questionnaire for 130 children of both genders aged 7 to 10 years old. For the food frequency questionnaire list, 81 food items were selected. The validity of the food frequency questionnaire was evaluated by comparison with 24-hour recalls and reproducibility was performed by comparing two food frequency questionnaires. Results Most of the foods with 95% relative contribution were ultra-processed, such as packaged snacks and powdered juice. In validation, correlation coefficients were found between 0.45 (p<0.000) for lipids and 0.37 (p<0.000) for carbohydrates. An adjustment for energy reduced the correlations, but there was an increase in the correlation in calcium (r=0.75) and retinol (r=0.20). In terms of reproducibility, all macronutrients and calcium showed a satisfactory intraclass correlation coefficient (>0.400) and moderate correlations [proteins (0.54; p<0.000) and lipids (0.41; p<0.000)]. Conclusion The food frequency questionnaire developed was valid and able to assess the local food consumption by children from northeastern Brazil.

Inter-individual variability in children's physical growth and body composition: Findings of longitudinal ELOS-Pré study

BACKGROUND

Children's physical growth (PG) and body composition (BC) can be influenced by birth weight and type of delivery.

AIM

To longitudinally analyze the dynamics of PG and BC of children from 5 to 9 years; to investigate the inter-individual differences according to age, sex, BW, and type of delivery across the following years of the study.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

A total of 1236 children (597 boys) were evaluated at 5-years of age and followed annually until 9-years. PG and BC measurements were evaluated. Multilevel modeling was used.

RESULTS

Annual increments were observed (p < .001). Girls presented lower height and fat-free-mass but higher %BF (p < .001). Distinct trajectories between the sexes were observed for height (p < .001). Low-birth-weight children presented lower height, body mass, and fat-free-mass (p < .001), but the interaction between velocity of growth and BC was significant only in height (p < .05). Children born by had lower height, body mass, and %BF, and gained less body mass per year than those born by vaginal delivery (p < .05). Significant inter-individual differences were observed at 5-years of age and in their trajectories, except for fat-free-mass (p < .01).

CONCLUSION

There are differences in the dynamics of PG and BC, low-birth-weight and type of delivery influence the dynamics of PG during this interval of ages.

Investigation of Muscle Strength, Motor Coordination and Balance in Children with Idiopathic Toe Walking: A Case-control Study

Purpose: To compare muscle strength, ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM), motor coordination and balance, between children with and without Idiopathic Toe Walking (ITW).Materials and methods: This is an observational case-control study. The primary outcome is the triceps surae muscle strength. The secondary outcomes are the anterior tibialis muscle strength, lower limb balance, motor coordination, and ankle dorsiflexion ROM. Thirty-eight children were recruited: 19 between 5 to 11 years old with ITW and 19 healthy (control). Ankle dorsiflexion ROM, triceps surae, anterior tibialis muscle strength, motor coordination, and balance were assessed.Results: Children with ITW showed reduced triceps surae strength [mean difference (MD): 16.2 kgf/kg*100; 95% confidence interval (CI) -32.72 to 0.28; p = .05], reduced anterior tibialis strength (MD: 8.5 kgf/kg*100; 95% CI -13.35 to -3.05; p ≤ 0.001), reduced ankle dorsiflexion ROM (MD: 19.6 degrees; 95% CI 15.43 to 23.77; p ≤ 0.001) and impaired motor coordination and balance (MD: 17.7; 95% CI -25.54 to -9.82; p ≤ 0.001) compared to healthy children.Conclusion: Children with Idiopathic Toe Walking, presented in this study, demonstrated triceps surae and anterior tibialis muscle strength reduction, ankle dorsiflexion ROM reduction, impaired motor coordination, and balance compared to healthy children.

Post-exercise hypotension effects in response to plyometric training of 7- to 9-year-old boys with overweight/obesity: a randomized controlled study

BACKGROUND

Physical activity plays an important role on children with obesity. This study evaluated the effects of plyometric training on the anthropometry, body composition, and the blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) of boys with obesity.

METHODS

Boys aged 7 to 9 years old were divided in: non-trained (N.=12) and trained (N.=29). The plyometric training program consisted of jumps on nonconsecutive days for twelve weeks. Anthropometry and body composition, BP and HR were evaluated. BP, HR and rate-pressure product were recorded at rest and 2 minutes after the section. Two-way repeated factors ANOVA was used.

RESULTS

Trained group had a reduction in skinfolds and an increase in free fat mass (within and between-groups) and a large effect size for most anthropometric and body composition variables. Late systolic response was reduced from 122±1.1 (immediately post-exercise at the first week) to 112±1.0 at the end of plyometric training period. Diastolic reduction was seen two minutes after each session of exercise (from 68±1.1 to 62±1.2). HR was reduced in response to plyometric training (108 bpm to 97 bpm).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings strengthen previous studies that suggest that intense exercise has significant adaptive effects on BP and HR.

Actual and Perceived Motor Competence in Relation to Body Mass Index in Primary School-Aged Children: A Systematic Review

Unhealthy-weight status may represent a precursor of poor actual (AMC) (i.e., process- and product-oriented) and perceived (PMC) motor competence. AMC and PMC represent key elements favoring long-term commitment in sports and day-to-day life physical activity. In fact, the development of AMC and PMC during the primary school years could help to counteract weight-related negative effects (i.e., overweight or obesity) that are responsible for sedentary or unhealthy behavior across the life span. Therefore, this review aimed to provide a synopsis of the current research investigating the relation of AMC and PMC with weight status and in the context of potential gender differences. Systematic research in five electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus) was conducted from April 2021 to May 2021 in compliance with PRISMA guidelines. Studies were included if they involved obese or overweight youth (6–10 years) with no physical or cognitive impairment and used a longitudinal or a cross-sectional assessment of motor competence and perceived motor competence outcomes. After the selection process and after duplicates were removed, the final sample included 27 studies. Most of the studies reported that AMC and PMC are negatively associated with weight status, with male and females differing from each other in overall and subtest (locomotor, object control, and stability skills) AMC scores. However, according to a risk of bias assessment, the level of evidence linked to the association of AMC (process and product) and PMC with weight status (BMI) remained uncertain and lacking, respectively. Further high-quality studies are warranted to improve the understanding of AMC and PMC in relation to weight status, which appears to be differently expressed by gender in primary school years. Regardless, based on the current quantitative data, the emerging inverse association between AMC/PMC and weight status implies that it would be best to limit sedentary behavior by including daily lessons in physical education to limit unfavorable conditions (i.e., obesity and overweight) during the school years.

Correlation between newborn size and gross fetal movement as counted by a fetal movement acceleration measurement recorder

The development of the fetal movement acceleration measurement (FMAM) recorder has enabled the accurate counting of gross fetal movements. The aim of the study was to investigate whether gross fetal movement is related to a newborn's size. A total of 90 pregnant women who delivered singleton infant at term were recruited. Gross fetal movements were counted using an FMAM recorder during maternal sleep. The ratio of movement positive 10-s epochs to all epochs during one night was calculated as an index of fetal movement. Independent explanatory variables for the fetal movement index were selected from eight possibilities, that is, maternal age, gestational week, and the six physical measures of the newborn (height, weight, head circumference, chest circumference, Kaup index, and the ratio of head to chest circumference) with the stepwise regression procedure. The selected physical variables and the fetal movement index were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. A total of 2812.95 h from 423 night records were available. Gestational weeks and weight of the newborn were selected as the significant independent variables. Multiple regression analysis revealed that newborn weight had a positive correlation with the fetal movement index (p < 0.0001). The multiple regression equation was "The fetal movement index (%) = 34.9989-0.9088 × gestational weeks + 0.0033 × newborn weight (g)." A person's physical ability and lifetime activity level may originate from fetal health. This study may provide a new way of looking at the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease theory.

Socioeconomic and Familial Factors Associated with Gross Motor Skills among US Children Aged 3-5 Years: The 2012 NHANES National Youth Fitness Survey

The first aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of below average gross motor skills in a representative sample of US children aged 3 to 5 years. The second aim was to identify socioeconomic and familial characteristics that are associated with below average gross motor skills. Secondary analysis was conducted using the datasets from the 2012 National Health and Examination Survey National Youth Fitness Survey (NNYFS). The NNYFS assessed gross motor skills among 329 children aged 3-5 years, using the Test of Gross Motor Development-Second Edition (TGMD-2). Socioeconomic and familial characteristics of interest, such as family income and family structure, were asked in an in-person interview. This study estimated that one in three US children age 3 to 5 years old (33.9%) scored below average for gross motor quotient. In the gross motor subsets, one in four (24.4%) scored below average for locomotion and two in five (39.9%) scored below average for object control. Children living below the poverty threshold were more likely to have a higher gross motor quotient (odds ratio, OR = 2.76; 95% confidence interval, CI = 1.09-7.00). Girls were more likely to have a higher locomotor score (OR = 2.17; 95% CI = 1.10-4.25). Those living with other child(ren) aged ≤5 years were more likely to have a higher locomotor score (OR = 2.36; 95% CI = 1.01-5.54), while those living with child(ren) aged 6-17 years were more likely to have a higher object control score (OR = 1.83; 95% CI = 1.24-2.69). This study revealed risk factors associated with poor gross motor development, furthering our understanding of gross motor development in early childhood.

The mediation effect of anthropometry and physical fitness on the relationship between birthweight and basal metabolic rate in children

BACKGROUND

Birthweight (BW) has been associated with anthropometry, body composition and physical fitness during growth and development of children. However, less is known about the mediation effect of those variables on the relationship between BW and basal metabolic rate (BMR) in children.

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the mediation effect of anthropometry, body composition and physical fitness on the association between BW and BMR in children.

METHODS

In total, 499 children (254 boys, 245 girls) aged 7-10 years were included. Anthropometry (weight, height, head, waist and hip circumferences), body composition (skinfolds thickness, body fat percentage), physical fitness (handgrip strength, flexibility, muscular endurance, muscular explosive power, agility, running speed) and BMR were evaluated. The analyses were conducted by: single-mediator analysis (SMA) and multi-mediator analysis (MMA).

RESULTS

The SMA indicates height, head, waist and hip circumferences and handgrip strength as significant mediators of BW on BMR for boys and height, hip circumference and handgrip strength as significant mediators of BW on BMR for girls. In MMA for girls, there were significant indirect effects for height, hip circumference and handgrip strength, with 79.08% of percent mediation. For boys, the head and waist circumferences mediation had a significant indirect effect, with 83.37% of percent mediation.

CONCLUSION

The anthropometric variables associated with BW were body height, head, hip and waist circumferences for boys and body height and hip circumference for girls. The current study provides new evidence that height and handgrip strength during childhood mediated the relationship between BW and BMR.

Effects of birth weight on body composition and overweight/obesity at early school age

OBJECTIVES

The prevalence of childhood obesity has increased substantially. We aimed to characterize the effect of birth weight on body composition and overweight/obesity at early school age.

STUDY DESIGN

A total of 1669 children with available birth records from a double-blind cluster-randomized controlled trial exploring micronutrient supplementation during pregnancy were included. Data regarding school-aged body composition, social-demographic factors and health behaviours were prospectively collected.

RESULT

s: The study population consisted of 1004 boys and 665 girls aged between 7 and 10 years. The prevalence of overweight/obesity (>85th age-sex-specific percentiles) was 7.4% for boys and 5.0% for girls. Generalized estimating equation models were used to account for the cluster nature of the data. A significant upward trend across quintiles of birth weight was observed for fat mass index (boys: P for trend 0.002; girls: P for trend <0.001), fat-free mass index (boys: P for trend <0.001; girls: P for trend <0.001), and percentage of body fat (boys: P for trend 0.003; girls: P for trend <0.001). A birth weight in the higher three quintiles could increase the risk ratios [RRs (95% CI) third quintile: 2.88, (1.13, 7.32); fourth quintile: 2.40, (0.87, 6.66); top quintile: 2.31, (0.92, 5.80)] of overweight/obesity at early school age compared with the RRs of the reference group (the second quintile of birth weight) among boys.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher birth weight could increase the risk of being overweight/obese among 7- to 10-year-old boys in rural western China. Sex differences in this association need to be considered when planning interventions.

RESEARCH REGISTRATION

This trial was registered at www.isrctn.com with the identifier ISRCTN08850194.

KTK MOTOR TEST: REVIEW OF THE MAIN INFLUENCING VARIABLES

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the scientific literature regarding the effects of external variables on KTK motor test scores and to verify which motor tests are associated with KTK.

DATA SOURCES

Four databases (PubMed, Science Direct, Scientific Electronic Library Online - SciELO - and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature - LILACS) were used to search for studies in which the descriptors Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder and KTK were presented in the title, abstract and keywords. Inclusion criteria were: articles published in English or Portuguese from January 2006 to December 2016; free access to the article in full and texts available online; presenting the descriptor terms mentioned above in the title, abstract or keywords; containing sample with children and adolescents aged 4 to 16 years old; being indexed in a journal with a rating of B2 or higher (WebQualis; Qualis 2016) for the area of physical education. The following were excluded: studies in books, chapters of books, theses and dissertations; duplicate scientific articles; conference summaries; articles published in proceedings and abstracts of congresses.

DATA SYNTHESIS

After the three stages of selection (identification, screening and eligibility) and the criteria proposed at the PICOS scale, 29 studies were included in this review.

CONCLUSIONS

Body composition and the regular practice of physical activities were the variables that presented the greatest influence on KTK. It is important that health professionals working with the pediatric public encourage regular physical activity to improve body composition and, thus, to obtain better KTK scores. Additionally, the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC) test had the highest positive correlation with the KTK test.

Modelling the dynamics of children's gross motor coordination

This study modelled children's gross motor coordination, investigated sex-differences and identified the effects of fixed and dynamic correlates on motor coordination development. A total of 344 Portuguese children (170 girls), from 6 age cohorts (5 to 9 years of age), were followed consecutively for three years (age range 5 to 11 years) using a mixed-longitudinal cohort design. Birth weight, hand dominance and socioeconomic status (SES) were identified. Gross motor coordination, body mass index, physical fitness (PF) and physical activity (PA) were assessed annually. A sequence of multilevel hierarchical linear models were developed. Model 1 found that age, age², sex, sex-by-age and sex-by-age² were significant predictors (p < 0.05) of gross motor coordination. Boys outperformed girls from 6 years of age onwards. Model 2 found a cohort effect (p < 0.05). Model 3 found that right handers were more coordinated (p < 0.05). When the confounders of body mass index, PF and PA were added to the model (Model 4) it was found that boys and girls had parallel trajectories in their gross motor coordination development. In conclusion children with increasing body mass index were less coordinated, while those who were stronger and more agile had steeper trajectories of gross motor coordination with age.

A multi-level analysis of individual- and school-level correlates of physical fitness in children

BACKGROUND

Children's physical fitness is potentially influenced by biological, behavioural and environmental factors.

AIM

To investigate the importance of individual-level and school-level characteristics in explaining variation in children's physical fitness.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

The sample comprised 354 Portuguese children, aged 5-10 years. Physical fitness [(handgrip (HG) strength, standing long jump (SLJ), shuttle-run (SR), total physical fitness score (PFz)], gross motor coordination (GMC) and body mass index (BMI) were assessed. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was objectively monitored; birth weight and socio-economic status (SES) were obtained by questionnaire. School contexts were assessed via an objective audit. Multilevel models using the Bayesian approach were used.

RESULTS

Age was positively associated with HG, SLJ and PFz (p < 0.05); BMI was positively associated with HG (p < 0.05) and GMC with all physical fitness components (p < 0.05); MVPA was only associated with PFz (p < 0.05); children with level A SES outperformed those with level C SES in HG (p < 0.05), but those with level B SES outperformed their level A SES peers in SR (p < 0.05). Within the school context, no equipment for physical education was negatively associated with HG (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

In the primary school years, individual-level characteristics were more important than the school context in explaining variations in physical fitness.

Relationship between aerobic capacity with Birth Weight and breastfeeding patterns in children: A cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT Objective To analyze if aerobic capacity is related to Birth Weight and breastfeeding patterns in boys and girls, products of a term pregnancy and normal weight. Methods A representative sample of 230 Brazilian children (6-10 years old), born at term (after 37-weeks’ gestation) with normal weight (between 2.5 and 4.0kg). These children performed a Yo-Yo Test to estimate their aerobic capacity and mothers reported their children’s Birth Weight and breastfeeding patterns. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to measure the association between aerobic capacity with Birth Weight and breastfeeding patterns. Results We did not observe any significant associations between aerobic capacity with Birth Weight and breastfeeding time in either sexes (p>0.05). Conclusion These results indicate that aerobic capacity is not related with Birth Weight or breastfeeding time in children born with normal weight and gestational age, suggesting that this complex physiological parameter does not appear to be determined by intrauterine factors that dictate the Birth Weight and breastfeeding patterns in the beginning of life.

Physical fitness characteristics of Omani primary school children according to body mass index

BACKGROUND

There is evidence that children with high cardiorespiratory fitness and normal body mass index (BMI) have less risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), however limited research was undertaken in Omani children. Therefore the aims of the present study were to describe body composition and physical fitness of a large cohort of Omani school children of both genders, and to investigate the effects of weight status on physical fitness.

METHODS

Three hundred and fourteen Omani school children aged 9 to 10 years old took part in anthropometric assessments, body composition and fitness tests, including handgrip strength, the basketball chest pass, broad jump, 20-m sprint, four 10-m shuttle agility, 30-s sit-up, and multistage fitness test (MSFT).

RESULTS

Obese boys and girls performed worse than normal-weight children in sprint, agility and endurance. In addition, fitness measures in the overweight group and underweight groups were not significantly different from other groups, except a better handgrip strength and poorer MSFT in overweight compared to normal weight girls, and poorer agility performance in underweight girls compared to the three other groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Most fitness measures are lower in obese Omani children, which suggests that they will be more at risk of developing NCDs later in life.

Deficits in anthropometric indices of nutritional status and motor performance among low birth weight children from Maputo City, Mozambique

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate associations between low birth weight (LBW) and anthropometry, body composition, physical fitness, and gross motor coordination among schoolchildren from Maputo, Mozambique.

METHODS

A total of 353 children aged 7 to 10 years old from both genders born in Maputo (Mozambique) were sampled. The sample was divided into two groups: LBW (n = 155) and normal birth weight (NBW, n = 198). Body composition measurements and indices weight-for-age, height-for-age, and weight-for-height were assessed. Physical fitness was assessed by handgrip strength, flexibility, agility, long jump, and running speed. Gross motor coordination was evaluated by using the Korper Koordination Test fur Kinder (KTK) battery.

RESULTS

LBW children were lighter and smaller than NBW children with reduced indices for weight-for-age and height-for-age. They also showed a reduced performance in handgrip strength and sideways movement tests. These differences remained significant even after adjustment for age, gender, body size, and fatness skinfold thickness.

CONCLUSION

LBW seems to be the major factor that influences anthropometry, and is a predictor of low muscle strength and low performance on sideways movement tests. This result suggests that growth faltering in LBW children is associated with adverse health consequences, even after controlling for gender, age, fatness, and body size.

Transcriptional response of skeletal muscle to a low protein perinatal diet in rat offspring at different ages: The role of key enzymes of glucose-fatty acid oxidation

Skeletal muscle is a plastic tissue during development with distinctive acute and chronic response to maternal protein restriction. This study evaluated gene and protein expression of key-enzymes of glycolytic pathway (HK2, PFK, PDK4 and CS), and fatty acid oxidation (CPT1 and β-HAD) of two different types of skeletal muscle [soleus and extensor digitorium longus (EDL)] from offspring rats at 30 and 90 days of age, exposed to maternal isoenergetic low protein diet throughout gestation and lactation. Pups from dams fed 17% protein diet (n=5, normal protein, Np), and low protein pups from dams fed 8% casein diet (low protein, Lp, n=5) were evaluated. Offspring were sacrificed either 30 or 90 days old. Soleus and EDL were analyzed for mRNA and protein expression by quantitative PCR and western blotting, respectively. Soleus was more affected by Lp maternal diet at 90 days by down-regulation of key enzymes of glycolytic pathway, in particular HK2 and PDK4 with a concomitant reduction of β-HAD mRNA. For EDL, the effects of Lp maternal diet were more pronounced at 30 days, as the transcriptional key enzymes of glycolytic pathway were down-regulated. One important finding was that the observed acute (30 days) transcriptional changes did not remain in adult Lp rats (90 days), except for PDK4. The robust PDK4 mRNA down-regulation, observed in both soleus and EDL, and at both ages, and the consequent down-regulation of the PDK4 protein expression can be responsible for a state of reduced metabolic flexibility of skeletal muscle in response to maternal low protein diet.

Sociodemographic factors related to handgrip strength in children and adolescents in a middle income country: The SALUS study

OBJECTIVE

To determine sociodemographic factors associated with handgrip (HG) strength in a representative sample of children and adolescents from a middle income country.

METHODS

We evaluated youth between the ages of 8 and 17 from a representative sample of individuals from the Department of Santander, Colombia. Anthropometric measures, HG strength, and self-reported physical activity were assessed, and parents/guardians completed sociodemographic questionnairres. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics and tertiles of relative HG strength. We also produced centile data for raw HG strength using quantile regression.

RESULTS

1,691 young people were evaluated. HG strength increased with age, and was higher in males than females in all age groups. Lower HG strength was associated with indicators of higher socioeconomic status, such as living in an urban area, residence in higher social strata neighborhoods, parent/guardian with secondary education or higher, higher household income, and membership in health insurance schemes. In addition, low HG strength was associated with lower physical activity levels and higher waist-to-hip ratio. In a fully adjusted regression model, all factors remained significant except for health insurance, household income, and physical activity level.

CONCLUSIONS

While age and gender specific HG strength values were substantially lower than contemporary data from high income countries, we found that within this middle income population indicators of higher socioeconomic status were associated with lower HG strength. This analysis also suggests that in countries undergoing rapid nutrition transition, improvements in socioeconomic conditions may be accompanied by reduction in muscle strength.

Low birth weight, very low birth weight and extremely low birth weight in African children aged between 0 and 5 years old: a systematic review

Low birth weight (LBW<2500), very low birth weight (VLBW<1500), extremely low birth weight (ELBW<1500) infants are at high risk for growth failure that result in delayed development. Africa is a continent that presents high rates of children born with LBW, VLBW and ELBW particularly sub-Saharan Africa. To review the existing literature that explores the repercussions of LBW, VLBW and ELBW on growth, neurodevelopmental outcome and mortality in African children aged 0–5 years old. A systematic review of peer-reviewed articles using Academic Search Complete in the following databases: PubMed, Scopus and Scholar Google. Quantitatives studies that investigated the association between LBW, VLBW, ELBW with growth, neurodevelopmental outcome and mortality, published between 2008 and 2015 were included. African studies with humans were eligible for inclusion. From the total of 2205 articles, 12 articles were identified as relevant and were subsequently reviewed in full version. Significant associations were found between LBW, VLBW and ELBW with growth, neurodevelopmental outcome and mortality. Surviving VLBW and ELBW showed increased risk of death, growth retardation and delayed neurodevelopment. Post-neonatal interventions need to be carried out in order to minimize the short-term effects of VLBW and ELBW.

PHYSICAL FITNESS AND BIRTH WEIGHT IN YOUNG MEN FROM MAPUTO CITY, MOZAMBIQUE

ABSTRACT Introduction: Birth weight has been considered an important marker of the nutritional transition in developing countries. Objective: To evaluate the influence of birth weight on body composition and physical fitness of young men born in Maputo, Mozambique. Methods: One hundred and seventy-nine students (aged 19 to 22 years) were divided into four groups (low birth weight < 2.500 g, LBW, n = 49; insufficient birth weight ≥ 2.500 g and < 3.000 g, IBW, n = 27; normal birth weight ≥ 3.000 g and < 3.999 g, NBW, n = 74; and high birth weight > 3.999 g, HBW, n = 31). Anthropometry and body composition were measured. Physical fitness was assessed by handgrip strength, muscle endurance, flexibility, agility, and running speed. Results: IBW showed lower values of body mass and fat free mass while LBW and HBW had high values of hip circumference, suprailiac, subscapular and abdominal skinfold when compared to NBW. LBW and HBW showed a high percentage of individuals with low performance in flexibility, right handgrip, agility, abdominal resistance, arms strength, and horizontal long jump. Around 70% of HBW showed low performance in the running speed test. Conclusion: Both low and high birth weight can influence adult adiposity and the performance in physical fitness tests.

The Link between Fetal Programming, Inflammation, Muscular Strength, and Blood Pressure

Hypertension affects one billion individuals worldwide and is considered the leading cause of cardiovascular death, stroke, and myocardial infarction. This increase in the burden of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is principally driven by lifestyle changes such as increased hypercaloric diets and reduced physical activity producing an increase of obesity, insulin resistance, and low-grade inflammation. Visceral adipocytes are the principal source of proinflammatory cytokines and systemic inflammation participates in several steps in the development of CVD. However, maternal and infant malnutrition also persists as a major public health issue in low- to middle-income regions such as Latin America (LA). We propose that the increased rates of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in these countries could be the result of the discrepancy between a restricted nutritional environment during fetal development and early life, and a nutritionally abundant environment during adulthood. Maternal undernutrition, which may manifest in lower birth weight offspring, appears to accentuate the relative risk of chronic disease at lower levels of adiposity. Therefore, LA populations may be more vulnerable to the pathogenic consequences of obesity than individuals with similar lifestyles in high-income countries, which may be mediated by higher levels of proinflammatory markers and lower levels of muscle mass and strength observed in low birth weight individuals.