Cardiorespiratory fitness status and body mass index change over time: a 2-year longitudinal study in elementary school children.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to examine the prospective relationship of baseline body mass index (BMI) and performance in a cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) field test with a change in BMI (DeltaBMI) over a 2-year period in a sample of rural children from elementary school in Fundão, Portugal.


METHODS
Obesity status was obtained by the age- and sex-specific BMI cut-off points and CRF by a 9-minute run test.


RESULTS
BMI stratification at baseline showed that overweight/obese children were over 11 times (OR=11.31; p=0.007) more likely to be DeltaBMI gainers than their normal weight peers. Those who were classified as unfit were 3.9 times more likely to be DeltaBMI gainers than those classified as fit at baseline. Both BMI at time 1 and CRF change (DeltaCRF) were not significantly associated with DeltaBMI over time.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this study suggest that children who have higher BMI and lower CRF are likely to have greater BMI gain over time.
Mota
Jorge
J
Research Centre in Physical Activity Health and Leisure, Faculty of Sports, Porto University, Portugal. jmota@fade.up.pt
Ribeiro
José Carlos
JC
Carvalho
Joana
J
Santos
Maria Paula
MP
Martins
Júlio
J
D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health; D013334:Students; D013997:Time Factors