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  • Original Article
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Body composition, energy expenditure and physical activity

Stability of physical activity, fitness components and diet quality indices

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 71, pages 519–524 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

Background:

Regular physical activity (PA), a high level of fitness and a high diet quality are positively associated with health. However, information about stability of fitness components and diet quality indices is limited. This study aimed to evaluate stability of those parameters.

Methods:

This study includes 652 adults (men=57.56 (10.28) years; women=55.90 (8.34) years at follow-up) who participated in 2002–2004 and returned for follow-up at the Policy Research Centre Leuven in 2012–2014. Minutes sport per day and Physical activity level (PAL) were calculated from the Flemish Physical Activity Computerized Questionnaire. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), morphological fitness (MORF; body mass index and waist circumference) and metabolic fitness (METF) (blood cholesterol and triglycerides) were used as fitness components. Diet quality indices (Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI), Diet Quality Index (DQI), Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS)) were calculated from a diet record. Tracking coefficients were calculated using Pearson/Spearman correlation coefficients (rPearson) and intra-class correlation coefficients (rICC).

Results:

In both men (rPearson&ICC=0.51) and women (rPearson=0.62 and rICC=0.60) PAL showed good stability, while minutes sport remained stable in women (rPearson&ICC=0.57) but less in men (rPearson&ICC=0.45). Most fitness components remained stable (r⩾0.50) except some METF components in women. In general the diet quality indices and their components were unstable (r<0.50).

Conclusions:

PAL and the majority of the fitness components remained stable, while diet quality was unstable over 10 years. For unstable parameters such as diet quality measurements are needed at both time points in prospective research.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are indebted to the participants in this study. This research has been carried out by the Policy Research Centre Sport, which is funded by the Flemish government.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

    E Mertens, P Clarys, P Mullie & B Deforche

  2. Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    E Mertens, J Lefevre, R Charlier & S Knaeps

  3. Erasmus University College, Brussels, Belgium

    P Clarys & P Mullie

  4. International Prevention Research Institute (iPRI), Lyon, France

    P Mullie

  5. Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

    S Knaeps

  6. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Dietary Exposure Assessment Group (DEX), Lyon, France

    I Huybrechts

  7. Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

    I Huybrechts & B Deforche

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  1. E Mertens
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Correspondence to E Mertens.

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Mertens, E., Clarys, P., Mullie, P. et al. Stability of physical activity, fitness components and diet quality indices. Eur J Clin Nutr 71, 519–524 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2016.172

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