Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Paper
  • Published:

Physical activity and determinants of physical activity in obese and non-obese children

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To compare the physical activity (PA) patterns and the hypothesized psychosocial and environmental determinants of PA in an ethnically diverse sample of obese and non-obese middle school children.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.

SUBJECTS: One-hundred and thirty-three non-obese and 54 obese sixth grade children (mean age of 11.4±0.6). Obesity status determined using the age-, race- and gender-specific 95th percentile for BMI from NHANES-1.

MEASUREMENTS: Objective measurements were collected of PA over a 7-day period using the CSA 7164 accelerometer: total daily counts; daily moderate (3–5.9 METs) physical activity (MPA); daily vigorous physical activity (≥6 METs; VPA); and weekly number of 5, 10 and 20 min bouts of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (≥3 METs, MVPA). Self-report measures were collected of PA self-efficacy; social influences regarding PA, beliefs about PA outcomes; perceived PA levels of parents and peers, access to sporting and/or fitness equipment at home, involvement in community-based PA organizations; participation in community sports teams; and hours spent watching television or playing video games.

RESULTS: Compared to their non-obese counterparts, obese children exhibited significantly lower daily accumulations of total counts, MPA and VPA as well as significantly fewer 5, 10 and 20 min bouts of MVPA. Obese children reported significantly lower levels of PA self-efficacy, were involved in significantly fewer community organizations promoting PA and were significantly less likely to report their father or male guardian as physically active.

CONCLUSIONS: The results are consistent with the hypothesis that physical inactivity is an important contributing factor in the maintenance of childhood obesity. Interventions to promote PA in obese children should endeavor to boost self-efficacy perceptions regarding exercise, increase awareness of, and access to, community PA outlets, and increase parental modeling of PA.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

1
2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Troiano RP, Flegal KM . Overweight children and adolescents: description, epidemiology, and demographics Pediatrics 1998 101: 497–504.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Ogden CL, Troiano RP, Briefel RR, Kuczmarski, Flegal KM, Johnson CL . Prevalence of overweight among preschool children in the United States, 1971 through 1994 Pediatrics 1997 99: E1.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Mei Z, Scanlon KS, Grummer-Strawn LM, Freedman DS, Yip R, Trowbridge FL . Increasing prevalence of overweight among US low-income preschool children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance, 1983 to 1995 Pediatrics 1998 101: E12.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Whitaker RC, Wright JA, Pepe MS, Seidel KD, Dietz WH . Predicting obesity in young adulthood from childhood and parental obesity New Engl J Med 1997 337: 869–873.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Must A, Strauss RS . Risks and consequences of childhood and adolescent obesity Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1999 23 (Suppl 2): S2–S11.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Dietz WH . Health consequences of obesity in youth: childhood predictors of adult disease Pediatrics 1998 101: 518–525.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Neumark-Sztainer D . The weight dilemma: a range of philosophical perspectives Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1999 23 (Suppl 2): S31–S37.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Goran MI . Energy expenditure, body composition and disease risk in children and adolescents Proc Nutr Soc 1997 56: 195–209.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Weinsier RL, Hunter GR, Heini AF, Goran MI, Sell SM . The etiology of obesity: relative contributions of metabolic factors, diet, and physical activity Am J Med 1998 105: 145–150.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Bar-Or O, Baranowski T . Physical activity, adiposity, and obesity among adolescents Pediatr Exerc Sci 1994 6: 348–360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Pate RR . Physical activity in children and youth: relationship to obesity Contemp Nutr 1993 18 (2)

  12. Ward DS, Evans R . Physical activity, aerobic fitness, and obesity in children Med Exerc Nutr Health 1995 4: 3–16.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Goran MI . Measurement issues related to studies of childhood obesity: assessment of body composition, body fat distribution, physical activity, and food intake Pediatrics 1998 101: 505–518.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Kohl III HW, Hobbs KE . Development of physical activity behaviors among children and adolescents Pediatrics 1998 101: 549–554.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Pate RR . Physical activity assessment in children and adolescents Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 1993 33: 321–326.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Kohl III HW, Fulton JE, Caspersen CJ . Assessment of physical activity among children and adolescents Prev Med 2000 31: S11–S33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Rowlands AV, Eston RG, Ingledew DK . Measurement of physical activity in children with particular reference to the use of heart rate and pedometry Sports Med 1997 24: 258–272.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Harro M, Riddoch C . Physical activity. In: Armstrong N, van Mechelen W (eds). Paediatric exercise science and medicine Oxford University Press: Oxford 2000 77–84.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Dietz WH . Does energy expenditure affect changes in body fat in children? Am J Clin Nutr 1998 67: 191–191.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Welk GJ, Corbin CB, Dale D . Measurement issues in the assessment of physical activity in children Res Q Exerc Sport 2000 71 (Suppl): 59–73.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Baranowski T, Anderson C, Carmack C . Mediating variable framework in physical activity interventions. How are we doing? How might we do better? Am J Prev Med 1998 15: 266–297.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Sallis JF, Prochaska JJ, Taylor WC . A review of correlates of physical activity of children and adolescents Med Sci Sports Exerc 2000 32: 963–975.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Troiano RP, Flegal KM . Overweight prevalence among youth in the United States: why so many different numbers? Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1999 23 (Suppl 2): S22–S27.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Must A, Dallall GE, Dietz WH . Reference data for obesity: 85th and 95th percentile for body mass index (wt/ht2) and tricep skinfold thickness Am J Clin Nutr 1991 53: 839–846.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Must A, Dallall GE, Dietz WH . Reference data for obesity: 85th and 95th percentile for body mass index (wt/ht2) and tricep skinfold thickness—a correction Am J Clin Nutr 1991 54: 773.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Computer Science and Applications Inc . Wrist activity monitor users manual model 7164 1995.

  27. Trost SG, Ward DS, Moorehead SM, Watson PD, Riner W, Burke JR . Validity of the computer science and applications (CSA) activity monitor in children Med Sci Sports Exerc 1998 30: 629–633.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Freedson PS, Sirard J, Trost SG, Dowda M, Pate RR, Sallis JF . Calibration of a uniaxial accelerometer for estimating exercise intensity in children and youth Pediatr Exerc Sci (in press).

  29. Gilliam TB, Freedson PS, Geenen DL, Shahraray B . Physical activity patterns determined by heart rate monitoring in 6–7-y-old children Med Sci Sports Exerc 1981 13: 65–67.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Janz KF, Golden JC, Hansen JR, Mahoney LT . Heart rate monitoring of physical activity in children and adolescents: the Muscatine Study Pediatrics 1992 89: 256–261.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Armstrong N, Balding J, Gentle P, Kirby B . Patterns of physical activity among 11 to 16 year old British children Br Med J 1990 301: 203–205.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Trost SG, Pate RR, Freedson PS, Sallis JF, Taylor WC . Using objective physical activity measures with youth: How many days of monitoring are needed? Med Sci Sport Exerc 2000 32: 426–431.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Bandura A . Social foundations of thought and action. A social cognitive theory Prentice-Hall: Englewood Cliffs, NJ 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Ajzen, I, Fishbein M . Understanding attitudes and predicting social behavior Prentice Hall: Englewood Cliffs, NJ 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Saunders R, Pate RR, Felton GM, Dowda M, Weinrich MC, Ward DS, Parsons MA, Baranowski T . Development of questionnaires to measure influences on children's physical activity Prev Med 1997 26: 241–247.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Ross JG, Pate RR, Caspersen CJ, Damberg CL, Svilar M . The national children and youth fitness study II: home and community in children's exercise habits J Phys Educ Rec Dance 1987 58: 85–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Heath GW, Pratt M, Warren CW, Kann L . Physical activity patterns in American high school students. Results from the 1990 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 1994 148: 1131–1136.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Pate RR, Dowda M, Ross JG . Associations between physical activity and physical fitness in American children Am J Dis Child 1990 144: 1123–1129.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Brener ND, Collins JL, Kann L, Warren CW, Warren BI . Reliability of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey Questionnaire Am J Epidemiol 1995 141: 575–580.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Romanella N, Wakat D, Loyd B, Kelly L . Physical activity and attitudes in lean and obese high school girls Int J Obes 1991 15: 407–414.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Wilkinson P, Parkin J, Pearlson G, Strong H, Sykes P . Energy intake and physical activity in obese children Br Med J 1977 1: 756.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  42. Rowlands AV, Eston RG, Ingledew DK . Relationship between activity levels, aerobic fitness, and body fat in 8- to 10-yr-old children J Appl Physiol 1999 86: 1428–1435.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Fogelholm M, Nuutinen O, Myohanen E, Saatela T . Parent–child relationship of physical activity patterns and obesity Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1999 23: 1262–1268.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Worsley A, Coonan W, Leitch D, Crawford D . Slim and obese children's perceptions of physical activities Int J Obes 1983 8: 201–211.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to SG Trost.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Trost, S., Kerr, L., Ward, D. et al. Physical activity and determinants of physical activity in obese and non-obese children. Int J Obes 25, 822–829 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801621

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801621

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links