title: Physical activity and clustered cardiovascular disease risk factors in young children: a cross-sectional study (the IDEFICS study).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The relevance of physical activity (PA) for combating cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in children has been highlighted, but to date there has been no large-scale study analyzing that association in children aged ≤9 years of age. This study sought to evaluate the associations between objectively-measured PA and clustered CVD risk factors in a large sample of European children, and to provide evidence for gender-specific recommendations of PA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional data from a longitudinal study in 16,224 children aged 2 to 9 were collected. Of these, 3,120 (1,016 between 2 to 6 years, 2,104 between 6 to 9 years) had sufficient data for inclusion in the current analyses. Two different age-specific and gender-specific clustered CVD risk scores associated with PA were determined. First, a CVD risk factor (CRF) continuous score was computed using the following variables: systolic blood pressure (SBP), total triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) ratio, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and sum of two skinfolds (score CRFs). Secondly, another CVD risk score was obtained for older children containing the score CRFs + the cardiorespiratory fitness variable (termed score CRFs + fit). Data used in the current analysis were derived from the IDEFICS ('Identification and prevention of Dietary- and lifestyle-induced health EFfects In Children and infantS') study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In boys <6 years, the odds ratios (OR) for CVD risk were elevated in the least active quintile of PA (OR: 2.58) compared with the most active quintile as well as the second quintile for vigorous PA (OR: 2.91). Compared with the most active quintile, older children in the first, second and third quintiles had OR for CVD risk score CRFs + fit ranging from OR 2.69 to 5.40 in boys, and from OR 2.85 to 7.05 in girls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PA is important to protect against clustering of CVD risk factors in young children, being more consistent in those older than 6 years. Healthcare professionals should recommend around 60 and 85 min/day of moderate-to-vigorous PA, including 20 min/day of vigorous PA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy and Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain. davidj@unizar.es
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Pavón
authors.forename: Kenn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Konstabel
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bergman
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ahrens
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pohlabeln
authors.forename: Charalampos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hadjigeorgiou
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siani
authors.forename: Licia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Iacoviello
authors.forename: Dénes
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Molnár
authors.forename: Stefaan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Henauw
authors.forename: Yannis
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pitsiladis
authors.forename: Luis A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Moreno
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004034:Diet Surveys / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior
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