Premium
Sex differences in the associations of physical activity and macronutrient intake with child body composition: A cross‐sectional study of 3‐ to 7‐year‐olds in Samoa
Author(s) -
Thompson Avery A.,
Duckham Rachel L.,
Desai Mayur M.,
Choy Courtney C.,
Sherar Lauren B.,
Naseri Take,
SotiUlberg Christina,
Reupena Muagatutia S.,
Wetzel Abigail I.,
Hawley Nicola L.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
pediatric obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.226
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 2047-6310
pISSN - 2047-6302
DOI - 10.1111/ijpo.12603
Subject(s) - medicine , samoan , overweight , body mass index , obesity , quartile , cross sectional study , trunk , classification of obesity , body fat percentage , demography , stepwise regression , physiology , fat mass , confidence interval , biology , ecology , philosophy , linguistics , pathology , sociology
Summary Background Overweight/obesity is prevalent among children in the Pacific Islands, but its aetiology is poorly understood. Few studies have considered body composition in addition to body mass index–based measures. Objectives To describe body composition among Samoan children and determine sex‐specific associations among dietary intake, physical activity, and body composition. Methods Body composition (percent body fat [%BF], lean mass, and trunk‐to‐peripheral fat ratio) of n = 83 Samoan children (3‐7 y) was assessed using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry. Children completed 7 days of objective physical activity monitoring. Mothers reported child nutritional intake using a 115‐item food frequency questionnaire. Stepwise generalized linear regression was used to determine independent associations of nutritional intake and physical activity with body composition. Results Samoan children had higher average %BF than reported among other ethnic groups but lower trunk‐to‐peripheral fat ratios. In sex‐stratified analyses, quartile of carbohydrate intake was negatively associated with %BF ( β = −2.02 SE = 0.58; P < .001) in girls only. Among boys, physical activity (quartile of accelerometer counts per minute) was negatively associated with %BF ( β = −1.66 SE = 0.55; P < .01). Conclusions Sex differences in the associations among nutritional intake, physical activity, and body composition may be important to consider as interventions are developed to address overweight/obesity among Samoan children.