Association between physical activity and cardiovascular risk in Chinese youth independent of age and pubertal stage.
BACKGROUND
Childhood and adolescence are critical periods of habit formation with substantial tracking of lifestyle and cardiovascular risk into adulthood. There are various guidelines on recommended levels of physical activity in youth of school-age. Despite the epidemic of obesity and diabetes in China, there is a paucity of data in this regard in Chinese youth. We examined the association of self-reported level of physical activity and cardiovascular risk in Hong Kong Chinese youth of school-age.


METHODS
This was a cross-sectional study conducted in 2007-8 in a school setting with 2119 Hong Kong Chinese youth aged 6-20 years. Physical activity level was assessed using a validated questionnaire, CUHK-PARCY (The Chinese University of Hong Kong: Physical Activity Rating for Children and Youth). A summary risk score comprising of waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose and lipids was constructed to quantify cardiovascular risk.


RESULTS
In this cohort, 21.5% reported high level of physical activity with boys being more active than girls (32.1% versus 14.1%, p < 0.001). Regression analysis showed physical activity level, sex and pubertal stage were independently associated with cardiovascular risk score.


CONCLUSIONS
Self-reported level of physical activity is associated with cardiovascular risk factors in Chinese youth after adjusting for sex and pubertal stage.
Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Alice P S
AP
Kong
Kai-Chow
KC
Choi
Albert M C
AM
Li
Stanley S C
SS
Hui
Michael H M
MH
Chan
Y K
YK
Wing
Ronald C W
RC
Ma
Christopher W K
CW
Lam
Joseph T F
JT
Lau
Wing Yee
WY
So
Gary T C
GT
Ko
Juliana C N
JC
Chan
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011627:Puberty; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires