Korean J Fam Med.  2019 May;40(3):159-164. 10.4082/kjfm.17.0085.

Association between Physical Fitness and Cardiometabolic Risk of Children and Adolescents in Korea

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Family Medicine, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Korea. beloved920@gmail.com
  • 2University College, Yonsei University International Campus, Incheon, Korea.
  • 3Department of Medical Nutrition, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, Korea.
  • 4Center for Biomedical Sciences, Korea National Institute of Health, Cheongju, Korea.

Abstract

BACKGROUND
This study aimed to investigate the association between physical fitness and cardiometabolic health of Korean children and adolescents.
METHODS
In total, 168 participants (89 boys and 79 girls) aged 10-16 years were recruited for the Intervention for Childhood and Adolescent Obesity via Activity and Nutrition Study in 2016. The subjects were categorized into two groups using the definition of metabolic syndrome by the International Diabetes Federation: metabolically unhealthy (with at least two of the five criteria) and healthy groups (with less than one criterion). Correlation analysis of the participants' general characteristics was performed. Odds ratios (ORs) of physical fitness for cardiometabolic risk were evaluated via logistic regression.
RESULTS
Metabolically unhealthy children showed greater weight, height, and body mass index, higher Children's Depression Inventory score, and longer screen time than did the metabolically healthy children. Metabolically healthy children showed greater upper and lower extremity muscular strength than did the metabolically unhealthy children (P=0.04 and P<0.001, respectively). In the multiple logistic regression analysis, lower extremity muscle strength was inversely related to the clustered cardiometabolic risk of the children and adolescents with or without adjustment for confounders (OR, 4.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.87-9.97; OR, 7.64; 95% CI, 1.55-37.74, respectively).
CONCLUSION
Physical fitness, especially lower extremity muscle strength, is significantly inversely associated with individual and clustered cardiometabolic risks in Korean children and adolescents.

Keyword

Cardiometabolic Risk; Physical Fitness; Cardiorespiratory Fitness; Child; Adolescent

MeSH Terms

Adolescent*
Body Mass Index
Child*
Depression
Humans
Korea*
Logistic Models
Lower Extremity
Muscle Strength
Odds Ratio
Pediatric Obesity
Physical Fitness*
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