Epidemiological Transition in Physical Activity and Sedentary Time in Children

Secular Trends in Gross Motor Coordination: A Study of Peruvian Children Living at High Altitude

PURPOSE

To (1) describe secular trends in gross motor coordination (GMC) scores by sex and age; (2) investigate GMC trends adjusted for concomitant secular trends in height, weight, and overall physical fitness; and (3) examine trends in children's frequencies within different GMC categories.

METHOD

The sample comprises 1562 Peruvian children (690 in 2009 and 872 in 2019), aged 6-11 years, from Junín (a high-altitude region). GMC was assessed with the KörperkoordinationsTest für Kinder. Physical fitness was assessed with handgrip strength, standing long jump, and shuttle-run test. Height and weight were measured with standardized protocols. Analysis of variance, covariance, and logistic regression were used.

RESULTS

A negative secular trend in GMC (based on raw scores) for boys and girls aged 6-8 years was observed. However, a positive trend was observed at 11 years of age but only in boys. Finally, there were no significant changes in the likelihood of children having below-normal GMC from 2009 to 2019.

CONCLUSIONS

Secular trends in GMC were negative in Peruvian children, especially at 6-8 years of age. Further, body size and physical fitness trends did not affect the negative secular trend. A high prevalence of children had below-normal GMC in both 2009 and 2019.

The energetics of childhood: Current knowledge and insights into human variation, evolution, and health

How organisms capture and ultimately use metabolic energy-a limiting resource of life-has profound implications for understanding evolutionary legacies and current patterns of phenotypic variation, adaptation, and health. Energetics research among humans has a rich history in biological anthropology and beyond. The energetics of childhood, however, remains relatively underexplored. This shortcoming is notable given the accepted importance of childhood in the evolution of the unique human life history pattern as well as the known sensitivity of childhood development to local environments and lived experiences. In this review, I have three objectives: (1) To overview current knowledge regarding how children acquire and use energy, highlighting work among diverse human populations and pointing to recent advances and remaining areas of uncertainty; (2) To discuss key applications of this knowledge for understanding human variation, evolution, and health; (3) To recommend future avenues for research. A growing body of evidence supports a model of trade-offs and constraint in childhood energy expenditure. This model, combined with advancements on topics such as the energetics of immune activity, the brain, and the gut, provides insights into the evolution of extended human subadulthood and the nature of variation in childhood development, lifetime phenotype, and health.

Physical Activity Levels in Brazilian Adolescents: A Secular Trend Study (2007-2017/18)

Only a small proportion of Brazilian adolescents practice sufficient physical activity (PA). However, it is not clear whether this proportion has been decreasing over time. This study aimed to examine the 10-year trends of sufficient PA in adolescents and to investigate differences by sex and age. Using a standard protocol, we compared two cross-sectional cohorts of adolescents aged 15 to 18 years, recruited in 2007 (n = 1040) and in 2017/18 (n = 978). Using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), the adolescents reported moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) performed in the last seven days. Sufficient PA was defined as engaging in at least 60 min/day of MVPA. In the subgroups, investigated by sex or age, there was an increase in the prevalence of sufficient PA. Overall, sufficient PA declined by 28.1% from 2007 to 2017/18. Boys in 2007 were more active than their 2017/18 peers, and this was equally observed in girls in 2007 compared to those in 2017/18. The findings show decreasing secular trends in sufficient PA in the investigated adolescents. Not only are public health authorities in Brazil witnessing an escalation of insufficient PA, but they are also losing ground with the most active adolescents.

The impact of ActiGraph's low-frequency extension filter on measurement of children's physical activity

This study examines differences in accelerometer-based measurements of children's movement with and without applying ActiGraph's low-frequency extension (LFE) filter. Thirty children wore ActiGraph GT9X devices during structured physical activity (PA) periods. Raw accelerometry data for each activity period were processed with and without the LFE filter applied. For each activity period, paired t-tests were used to compare vector magnitude counts and minutes spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) with and without the LFE filter applied. Repeated measures MANOVA models were used for compositional data analysis of the percentage of time spent in sedentary behaviour and light, moderate, and vigorous PA with and without the LFE filter applied. Applying the LFE filter significantly increased vector magnitude counts and estimated minutes spent in MVPA for all activity periods when compared to the normal filter. For brisk walking, the LFE filter had a significant impact on the composition of time spent in sedentary behaviour and PA intensities. Children's activity data processed with the LFE filter may not be compatible with cut-points for activity levels developed with the normal filter, and caution should be taken when comparing children's activity levels or movement data between studies that do and do not use the LFE filter.

Capacity for childhood obesity research in Latin American and US Latino populations: State of the field, challenges, opportunities, and future directions

Childhood obesity is a major problem in Latin America and among US Latinos. Effective public health policies require contextually relevant evidence to guide them, which demands sustained research capacity. The objectives of this study are to determine research productivity in Latin America and in the United States focused on Latino populations and examine domains of research capacity (research infrastructure, training programs, mentoring, funding, and networks). We conducted a scoping review of indexed childhood obesity-related articles published June 2015-December 2019. We collected data on perceptions of capacity for childhood obesity research among Latin American investigators through an online survey. We identified 612 childhood obesity-related articles (505 from Latin America, 124 from the United States, and 17 US-Latin America collaborations). Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, and the United States are the top publishing countries. There are similar numbers of obesity, nutrition, and physical activity articles, but physical activity research capacity lagged in other domains (research training, funding, and networking opportunities). Complementary research areas, including sedentary behavior, systems science, and policy studies, are uncommon in Latin America but more prevalent in the United States, whereas sleep research is nascent across settings. Realizing the promise of an effective cross-border collaborative childhood obesity prevention agenda will require committed investment in all domains of research capacity and across all relevant topics.

Footprints in Time: Physical Activity Levels and Sociodemographic and Movement-Related Associations Within the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children

BACKGROUND

Emerging evidence suggests that Indigenous children have higher physical activity levels that non-Indigenous children, yet little is known of the factors that influence these levels or how they may be optimized. This study examines correlates of achieving ≥1 hour/day of physical activity among Indigenous Australian children aged 8-13 years.

METHODS

Data were collected through parental self-report in the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children. Proportions of children achieving ≥1 hour/day physical activity, approximating the Australian aerobic physical activity recommendations, were calculated, and associations with sociodemographic, family composition, and movement-related factors were quantified using multiple logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS

Half of the 1233 children achieved ≥1 hour/day physical activity. Children from families with low parental education and unemployment, remote residence, low socioeconomic status, and without a father in the household were more likely to meet the recommendations. Achieving ≥1 hour/day of physical activity was also associated with low levels of playing electronic games and total screen time.

CONCLUSIONS

Sociodemographic correlates of physical activity among Indigenous Australian children run counter to those typically found in non-Indigenous Australian children. Further longitudinal examination of the predictors of these associations would provide a greater understanding of Indigenous physical activity determinants, to inform strategies to facilitate participation.

Body mass index and movement behaviors among schoolchildren from 13 countries across a continuum of human development indices: A multinational cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

This study describes the distributions of body mass index (BMI) and movement behaviors among schoolchildren from 13 countries across a continuum of human development.

METHODS

Data were from a cross-sectional study of 9-11-year-old children (n = 8055) recruited from 269 urban schools in 13 countries, and an additional 7 rural schools in one of these countries (Mozambique). BMI was derived from objectively measured heights and weights. Moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA), sedentary time (SED), and sleep duration were assessed by waist-worn Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometers. Linear models were used to describe the distributions of BMI z-scores, MVPA, SED, and sleep among sites across varying Human Development Indices (HDIs).

RESULTS

Mean MVPA, SED, and sleep duration were 63.1 ± 27.3 minutes/day, 508.7 ± 72.4 minutes/day, and 8.8 ± 0.9 hours/night, respectively. Overall, 2.1% of the sample were thin, 19.5% overweight, and 11.7% were obese. Density curves (BMI z-scores and SED) for urban children in Mozambique showed significantly higher mean values compared with rural children. Boys had significantly higher mean MVPA compared with girls. Mean BMI z-scores were positively associated (β = .02; P = .004) with HDI, mean daily MVPA minutes were negatively associated (β = -.38; P = .025) with HDI, and mean SED time was positively associated with HDI (β = 1.18; P = .049). No significant association (β = .01; P = .29) was observed between sleep duration and HDI.

CONCLUSION

Our findings show distinct differences in BMI and movement behavior profiles between urban and rural children in Mozambique. Mean BMI z-scores, MVPA, and SED differed by country HDI. These findings support the need to include both rural and urban participants in study samples.

International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE): Contributions to Understanding the Global Obesity Epidemic

The purpose of this review is to summarize the scientific contributions of the International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE) in extending our understanding about obesity in children from around the world. ISCOLE was a multi-national study of 9 to 11 year-old children from sites in 12 countries from all inhabited continents. The primary purpose was to investigate relationships between lifestyle behaviors and obesity, and the influence of higher-order characteristics such as behavioral settings, and physical, social and policy environments. ISCOLE has made several advances in scientific methodology related to the assessment of physical activity, dietary behavior, sleep and the neighborhood and school environments. Furthermore, ISCOLE has provided important evidence on (1) epidemiological transitions in obesity and related behaviors, (2) correlates of obesity and lifestyle behaviors at the individual, neighborhood and school levels, and (3) 24-h movement behaviors in relation to novel analytical techniques. A key feature of ISCOLE was the development of a platform for international training, data entry, and data quality for multi-country studies. Finally, ISCOLE represents a transparent model for future public-private research partnerships across low, middle and high-income countries.