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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #292170
Title: BMI change, fitness change and cardiometabolic risk factors among 8th grade youth

Author
item JAGO, RUSS - University Of Bristol
item DREWS, KIMBERLY - George Washington University
item MC MURRAY, ROBERT - University Of North Carolina
item BARANOWSKI, TOM - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item GALASSETTI, PIETRO - University Of California
item FOSTER, GARY - Temple University
item MOE, ESTER - Oregon State University
item BUSE, JOHN - University Of North Carolina

Submitted to: Pediatric Exercise Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2012
Publication Date: 2/1/2013
Citation: Jago, R., Drews, K.L., McMurray, R.G., Baranowski, T., Galassetti, P., Foster, G.D., Moe, E., Buse, J.B. 2013. BMI change, fitness change and cardiometabolic risk factors among 8th grade youth. Pediatric Exercise Science. 25(1):52-68.

Interpretive Summary: There is disagreement about whether a child needs to lose weight or just be physically active to minimize cardiovascular risk factors (e.g. blood pressure, cholesterol fractions). In a longitudinal study of lower income ethnic minority middle school children, change in BMI (an index of body fatness) and fitness (an index of physical activity) were correlated with changes in all cardiovascular risk factors. Change in BMI was the primary correlate of changes in all cardiovascular risk factors. Change in fitness had weaker relationships with a subset of cardiovascular risk factors. As a result, lowering BMI is the most important target to control cardiovascular risk factors in middle school children.

Technical Abstract: This paper examined whether a two-year change in fitness, body mass index (BMI) or the additive effect of change in fitness and BMI were associated with change in cardiometabolic risk factors among youth. Cardiometabolic risk factors, BMI group (normal weight, overweight or obese) were obtained from participants at the start of 6th grade and end of 8th grade. Shuttle run laps were assessed and categorized in quintiles at both time points. Regression models were used to examine whether changes in obesity, fitness or the additive effect of change in BMI and fitness were associated with change in risk factors. There was strong evidence (p <.001) that change in BMI was associated with change in cardiometabolic risk factors. There was weaker evidence of a fitness effect, with some evidence that change in fitness was associated with change in total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C and clustered risk score among boys, as well as HDL-C among girls. Male HDL-C was the only model for which there was some evidence of a BMI, fitness and additive BMI fitness effect. Changing body mass is central to the reduction of youth cardiometabolic risk. Fitness effects were negligible once change in body mass had been taken into account.