Physical activity, stress, and metabolic risk score in 8- to 18-year-old boys.
BACKGROUND
We examined whether physical activity modifies the relationship between stress and the metabolic risk score in 8- to 18-year-old males (n = 37).


METHODS
Physical activity (PA) and television (TV)/videogame (VG) use were assessed via accelerometer and questionnaire, respectively. Stress was determined from self-report measures. A metabolic risk score (MRS) was created by summing age-standardized residuals for waist circumference, mean arterial pressure, glycosylated hemoglobin, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.


RESULTS
Correlations between PA and MRS were low (r < -.13), and TV and VG were moderately associated with MRS (r = .39 and .43, respectively). Correlations between stress-related variables and MRS ranged from r = .19 to .64. After partitioning by PA, significant correlations were observed in the low PA group between school- and sports-related self-esteem and anxiety with the MRS.


CONCLUSIONS
The results provide suggestive evidence that PA might modify the relationship between stress and MRS in male adolescents.
Holmes
Megan E
ME
Center for Physical Activity and Health, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA.
Eisenmann
Joey C
JC
Ekkekakis
Panteleimon
P
Gentile
Douglas
D
D000293:Adolescent; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires