title: Physical activity guidelines and cardiovascular risk in children: a cross sectional analysis to determine whether 60 minutes is enough.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physical activity reduces cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends children engage in 60 min daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The effect of compliance with this recommendation on childhood cardiovascular risk has not been empirically tested. To evaluate whether achieving recommendations results in reduced composite-cardiovascular risk score (CCVR) in children, and to examine if vigorous PA (VPA) has independent risk-reduction effects.
  
  
  METHODS
  PA was measured using accelerometry in 182 children (9-11 years). Subjects were grouped according to achievement of 60 min daily MVPA (active) or not (inactive). CCVR was calculated (sum of z-scores: DXA body fat %, blood pressure, VO2peak, flow mediated dilation, left ventricular diastolic function; CVR score ≥ 1SD indicated 'higher risk'). The cohort was further split into quintiles for VPA and odds ratios (OR) calculated for each quintile.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Active children (92 (53 boys)) undertook more MVPA (38 ± 11 min, P < 0.001), had greater VO2peak (4.5 ± 0.8 ml/kg/min P < 0.001), and lower fat % (3.9 ± 1.1 %, P < 0.001) than inactive. No difference were observed between active and inactive for CCVR or OR (P > 0.05). CCVR in the lowest VPA quintile was significantly greater than the highest quintile (3.9 ± 0.6, P < 0.05), and the OR was 4.7 times higher.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Achievement of current guidelines has positive effects on body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness, but not CCVR. Vigorous physical activity appears to have beneficial effects on CVD risk, independent of moderate PA, implying a more prescriptive approach may be needed for future VPA guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Füssenich
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moore's University, Tom Reilly Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 2ET, UK.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Boddy
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moore's University, Tom Reilly Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 2ET, UK.|School of Sports Science, Exercise and Health, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Green
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moore's University, Tom Reilly Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 2ET, UK.
authors.forename: L E F
authors.initials: LEF
authors.lastname: Graves
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moore's University, Tom Reilly Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 2ET, UK.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Foweather
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool, L16 9JD, UK.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Dagger
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Chester, Chester, CH1 4BJ, UK.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: McWhannell
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moore's University, Tom Reilly Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 2ET, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Henaghan
authors.affiliation: Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition (C-PAN) Research, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC, 3175, Australia.
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Ridgers
authors.affiliation: Applied Sports Technology Exercise and Medicine Research Centre (A-STEM), Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stratton
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moore's University, Tom Reilly Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 2ET, UK. N.d.hopkins@ljmu.ac.uk.
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Hopkins
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D013997:Time Factors