title: Objectively measured habitual physical activity and sedentary behaviour in obese and non-obese Malaysian children.
abstract: The present study examined objectively measured physical activity in Malaysian children and compared the differences in physical levels between obese and healthy weight children. Eighty-six obese children were matched for age and sex with 86 healthy weight children with median age 9.5 years. Habitual physical activity and sedentary behaviour were measured over 5 days using Actigraph accelerometers. Time spent sedentary was significantly higher in the obese group (90% vs. 86% of daytime; p = 0.001). Moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity was significantly higher in the healthy weight group (1.2 vs. 0.7% of daytime, p < 0.001). In both healthy weight and obese children, physical activity levels were exceptionally low, although moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity was significantly lower in the obese group than the healthy weight group. Efforts to prevent and treat obesity in Malaysian children will need a substantial focus on the promotion of reductions in sedentary behaviour and increases in physical activity.
authors.affiliation: School of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Kota Campus, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Jalan Sultan Mahmud, 20400 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Sharifah Wajihah
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Wafa
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hamzaid
authors.forename: Ruzita Abd
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Talib
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Reilly
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006184:Habits; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: accelerometry; obesity; objective measurement; physical activity; sedentary behaviour