Does the Fractionalization of Daily Physical Activity (Sporadic vs. Bouts) Impact Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Children and Youth?
2011

Impact of Physical Activity Patterns on Cardiometabolic Risk in Children

Sample size: 2754 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Rebecca M. Holman, Valerie Carson, Ian Janssen

Primary Institution: Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Hypothesis

Does the way children accumulate their daily physical activity (in bouts vs. sporadically) affect their cardiometabolic risk factors?

Conclusion

Both sporadic and bout physical activity have similar effects on cardiometabolic risk factors in children and youth.

Supporting Evidence

  • The study included 2754 children and youth from the NHANES survey.
  • Physical activity was measured using Actigraph accelerometers over 7 days.
  • Results showed a dose-response relationship between physical activity and cardiometabolic risk factors.

Takeaway

This study found that whether kids exercise in short bursts or longer sessions, it helps their heart health the same way.

Methodology

The study used accelerometers to measure physical activity in children and youth over 7 days and analyzed the association with cardiometabolic risk factors using logistic regression.

Potential Biases

Potential measurement error from accelerometers not capturing all physical activities.

Limitations

The study's cross-sectional design limits causal inferences, and a significant portion of the NHANES sample was excluded due to incomplete data.

Participant Demographics

Participants were aged 6-19 years, with 50.8% male and a diverse racial background.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.01

Confidence Interval

0.10–0.60

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0025733

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