Longitudinal associations of movement behaviours with body composition and physical fitness from 4 to 9 years of age: structural equation and mediation analysis with compositional data
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Show full item recordAuthor
Hidalgo Migueles, JairoEditorial
BMC
Date
2023-02-07Referencia bibliográfica
Migueles, J.H... [et al.]. Longitudinal associations of movement behaviours with body composition and physical fitness from 4 to 9 years of age: structural equation and mediation analysis with compositional data. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 20, 11 (2023). [https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-023-01417-1]
Sponsorship
Karolinska Institutet; Swedish Research Council 2012-2883 Swedish Research Council Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life & Welfare (Forte) 2012-0906 2021-00036; Bo and Vera Axson Johnsons Foundation; Karolinska Institutet; Joanna Cocozza Foundation; National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia APP1162166Abstract
Background The associations of movement behaviours (physical activity [PA], sedentary behaviour [SB], and sleep)
with body composition and physical fitness from pre-school to childhood, as well as the direction of the associations,
could provide important information for healthy lifestyle promotion in children. This study investigated the longitudinal
and bidirectional associations of movement behaviours with body composition and physical fitness measured at 4
and 9 years of age.
Methods This longitudinal study included baseline (n = 315, 4.5 [SD = 0.1] years) and follow-up data (n = 231, 9.6
[SD = 0.1] years) from the MINISTOP study. Movement behaviours were measured for 7 days using wrist-worn accelerometers,
body composition with air-displacement plethysmography, and physical fitness with the ALPHA healthrelated
fitness test battery. Cross-lagged panel models and mediation analyses were performed in combination with
compositional data analysis.
Results We did not observe direct associations of the movement behaviours at 4 years with either body composition
or physical fitness at 9 years (all P > 0.05). However, fat mass index at 4 years was negatively associated with
vigorous PA (VPA), relative to remaining behaviours (VPA, β = − 0.22, P = 0.002) and light PA (LPA), relative to SB and
sleep (β = − 0.19, P = 0.016) at 9 years. VPA (relative to remaining), moderate PA (MPA) (relative to LPA, SB, and sleep),
and SB (relative to sleep) tracked from 4 to 9 years (all β ≥ 0.17, all P < 0.002), and these behaviours shared variance
with fat mass index (all|β| ≥ 0.19, all P < 0.019), and aerobic, motor, and muscular fitness (all|β| ≥ 0.19, all P < 0.014) at
9 years. Mediation analysis suggested that the tracking of VPA (relative to remaining behaviours) from 4 to 9 years was
negatively associated with fat mass index (β ≥ − 0.45, P = 0.012), and positively with aerobic fitness at 9 years (β ≥ 1.64,
P = 0.016). Conclusion PA and SB tracked from the pre-school years into childhood. Fat mass index at 4 years of age was negatively
associated with VPA (relative to remaining behaviours) and LPA (relative to SB and sleep) at 9 years of age. The
tracking of VPA was associated with lower fat mass index and higher aerobic fitness at 9 years of age. These findings
suggest that higher levels of VPA in pre-school age, if maintained throughout childhood, may support the development
of healthy body composition and aerobic fitness levels in later childhood.