Association between Sedentary Behaviour, Physical Activity and Body Composition in Children

Abstract

Childhood overweight and obesity are already on the rise in developed and developing countries. Childhood obesity is becoming a serious health problem. The cause of this problem is poorly understood. Despite a variety of factors such as genetic and environmental, a sedentary lifestyle is a known major contributor to obesity in children. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between physical activity, sedentary behaviour and body composition in children. Methods: The study group consisted of 89 children (42 boys, 47 girls), aged 4.06+/-1.33 years. Physical activity patterns were determined using Actiwatch during 7 days. The times spend on television and computer were estimated from the lifestyle questionnaire. Body composition was assessed by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Results: Percentage of body fat was higher in girls (30.35+/-7.23) than boys (25.90+/-6.82). There was no significant difference in activity level and TV viewing between boys and girls. No association was found between physical activity pattern and body composition. Television viewing was negatively associated with body fat (r=0.324, P<0.05). Conclusion: This study supports the previous finding that inactivity is a major risk factor for childhood obesity