Sex Differences in the Associations of Physical Activity and Macronutrient Intake with Child Body Composition: A Cross-sectional Study of 3- to 7-year-olds in Samoa

Overview

Journal Pediatr Obes

Specialties Endocrinology
Pediatrics

Date 2020 Jan 12

PMID 31925928

Citations 7

Authors

Avery A Thompson

Rachel L Duckham

Mayur M Desai

Courtney C Choy

Lauren B Sherar

Take Naseri

Christina Soti-Ulberg

Muagatutia S Reupena

Abigail I Wetzel

Nicola L Hawley

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Overweight/obesity is prevalent among children in the Pacific Islands, but its aetiology is poorly understood. Few studies have considered body composition in addition to body mass index-based measures.

Objectives: To describe body composition among Samoan children and determine sex-specific associations among dietary intake, physical activity, and body composition.

Methods: Body composition (percent body fat [%BF], lean mass, and trunk-to-peripheral fat ratio) of n = 83 Samoan children (3-7 y) was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Children completed 7 days of objective physical activity monitoring. Mothers reported child nutritional intake using a 115-item food frequency questionnaire. Stepwise generalized linear regression was used to determine independent associations of nutritional intake and physical activity with body composition.

Results: Samoan children had higher average %BF than reported among other ethnic groups but lower trunk-to-peripheral fat ratios. In sex-stratified analyses, quartile of carbohydrate intake was negatively associated with %BF (β = -2.02 SE = 0.58; P < .001) in girls only. Among boys, physical activity (quartile of accelerometer counts per minute) was negatively associated with %BF (β = -1.66 SE = 0.55; P < .01).

Conclusions: Sex differences in the associations among nutritional intake, physical activity, and body composition may be important to consider as interventions are developed to address overweight/obesity among Samoan children.

Citing Articles

Shaping childhood obesity: behavioral and environmental risk factors associated with body mass index trajectories between 2 and 9 years in Samoan children.

Choy C, Johnson W, Naseri T, Filipo V, Arorae M, Tafunaina F Int J Obes (Lond). 2024; 49(2):322-331.

PMID: 39472691 PMC: 11805637. DOI: 10.1038/s41366-024-01665-6.

The milk study protocol: A longitudinal, prospective cohort study of the relationship between human milk metabolic hormone concentration, maternal body composition, and early growth and satiety development in Samoan infants aged 1-4 months.

Harries V, Abraham J, Vesi L, Reupena A, Faaselele-Savusa K, Duckham R PLoS One. 2024; 19(5):e0292997.

PMID: 38728264 PMC: 11086876. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292997.

Child, family and household characteristics associated with physical activity in Samoan children aged 3-8 years: A cross-sectional study.

Warmath C, Choy C, McGarvey S, Sherar L, Duckham R, Soti-Ulberg C PLOS Glob Public Health. 2024; 4(4):e0002886.

PMID: 38630845 PMC: 11023467. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002886.

Prevalence, causes and contexts of childhood overweight and obesity in the Pacific region: a scoping review.

Bertrand-Protat S, Chen J, Jonquoy A, Frayon S, Thu Win Tin S, Ravuvu A Open Res Eur. 2023; 3:52.

PMID: 38031554 PMC: 10685071. DOI: 10.12688/openreseurope.15361.2.

Association of Macronutrients Intake with Body Composition and Sarcopenic Obesity in Children and Adolescents: A Population-Based Analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2018.

Yang B, Tang C, Shi Z, Gao L Nutrients. 2023; 15(10).

PMID: 37242189 PMC: 10222350. DOI: 10.3390/nu15102307.

References

Vicente-Rodriguez G, Ara I, Perez-Gomez J, Dorado C, Calbet J . Muscular development and physical activity as major determinants of femoral bone mass acquisition during growth. Br J Sports Med. 2005; 39(9):611-6. PMC: 1725300. DOI: 10.1136/bjsm.2004.014431. View

Dossegger A, Ruch N, Jimmy G, Braun-Fahrlander C, Mader U, Hanggi J . Reactivity to accelerometer measurement of children and adolescents. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2013; 46(6):1140-6. PMC: 4059597. DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000000215. View

Maffeis C, Provera S, Filippi L, Sidoti G, Schena S, Pinelli L . Distribution of food intake as a risk factor for childhood obesity. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2000; 24(1):75-80. DOI: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0801088. View

Fradkin C, Wallander J, Elliott M, Tortolero S, Cuccaro P, Schuster M . Associations between socioeconomic status and obesity in diverse, young adolescents: variation across race/ethnicity and gender. Health Psychol. 2014; 34(1):1-9. DOI: 10.1037/hea0000099. View

Ezeamama A, Viali S, Tuitele J, McGarvey S . The influence of socioeconomic factors on cardiovascular disease risk factors in the context of economic development in the Samoan archipelago. Soc Sci Med. 2006; 63(10):2533-45. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.06.023. View

Roubenoff R, Kehayias J, Dawson-Hughes B, Heymsfield S . Use of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry in body-composition studies: not yet a "gold standard". Am J Clin Nutr. 1993; 58(5):589-91. DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/58.5.589. View

Rush E, Puniani K, Valencia M, Davies P, Plank L . Estimation of body fatness from body mass index and bioelectrical impedance: comparison of New Zealand European, Maori and Pacific Island children. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2003; 57(11):1394-401. DOI: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601701. View

Choy C, Desai M, Park J, Frame E, Thompson A, Naseri T . Child, maternal and household-level correlates of nutritional status: a cross-sectional study among young Samoan children. Public Health Nutr. 2017; 20(7):1235-1247. PMC: 10261405. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980016003499. View

Atkin L, Davies P . Diet composition and body composition in preschool children. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000; 72(1):15-21. DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/72.1.15. View

10.

Ma Y, Olendzki B, Chiriboga D, Hebert J, Li Y, Li W . Association between dietary carbohydrates and body weight. Am J Epidemiol. 2005; 161(4):359-67. PMC: 1199523. DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwi051. View

11.

Wang Y . Cross-national comparison of childhood obesity: the epidemic and the relationship between obesity and socioeconomic status. Int J Epidemiol. 2001; 30(5):1129-36. DOI: 10.1093/ije/30.5.1129. View

12.

Lazaar N, Aucouturier J, Ratel S, Rance M, Meyer M, Duche P . Effect of physical activity intervention on body composition in young children: influence of body mass index status and gender. Acta Paediatr. 2007; 96(9):1315-20. PMC: 2040215. DOI: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2007.00426.x. View

13.

Willett W, Howe G, Kushi L . Adjustment for total energy intake in epidemiologic studies. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997; 65(4 Suppl):1220S-1228S; discussion 1229S-1231S. DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/65.4.1220S. View

14.

Perez-Rodrigo C, Artiach Escauriaza B, Artiach Escauriaza J, Polanco Allue I . Dietary assessment in children and adolescents: issues and recommendations. Nutr Hosp. 2015; 31 Suppl 3:76-83. DOI: 10.3305/nh.2015.31.sup3.8755. View

15.

Shea J, King M, Yi Y, Gulliver W, Sun G . Body fat percentage is associated with cardiometabolic dysregulation in BMI-defined normal weight subjects. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2011; 22(9):741-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2010.11.009. View

16.

Wang D, Hawley N, Thompson A, Lameko V, Reupena M, McGarvey S . Dietary Patterns Are Associated with Metabolic Outcomes among Adult Samoans in a Cross-Sectional Study. J Nutr. 2017; 147(4):628-635. PMC: 5368585. DOI: 10.3945/jn.116.243733. View

17.

Guo B, Wu Q, Gong J, Xiao Z, Tang Y, Shang J . Gender Difference in Body Fat for Healthy Chinese Children and Adolescents. Child Obes. 2016; 12(2):144-54. DOI: 10.1089/chi.2015.0139. View

18.

DiBello J, McGarvey S, Kraft P, Goldberg R, Campos H, Quested C . Dietary patterns are associated with metabolic syndrome in adult Samoans. J Nutr. 2009; 139(10):1933-43. PMC: 2744614. DOI: 10.3945/jn.109.107888. View

19.

Leary S, Ness A, Davey Smith G, Mattocks C, Deere K, Blair S . Physical activity and blood pressure in childhood: findings from a population-based study. Hypertension. 2007; 51(1):92-8. DOI: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.107.099051. View

20.

Khadgawat R, Marwaha R, Tandon N, Mehan N, Upadhyay A, Sastry A . Percentage body fat in apparently healthy school children from northern India. Indian Pediatr. 2013; 50(9):859-66. DOI: 10.1007/s13312-013-0237-3. View