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Association of objectively assessed physical activity with total and central body fat in Spanish adolescents; The HELENA Study

International Journal of Obesity volume 33, pages 1126–1135 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Objectives:

To examine the association of objectively assessed physical activity (PA) with markers of total and central body fat in adolescents, and to determine whether meeting the current PA recommendations (⩾60 min day−1 of at least moderate intensity PA) is associated with reduced levels of total and central body fat.

Subjects/Methods:

A total of 365 Spanish adolescents aged 12.5–17.5 years participated in this cross-sectional study. PA was assessed by accelerometry and expressed as average PA (counts per minute), and min day−1 of light, moderate, moderate to vigorous (MVPA) and vigorous PA. MVPA was dichotomized into <60 min day−1 and ⩾60. Total body fat was measured by DXA, BodPod and the sum of six skinfolds. Central body fat was measured by DXA at three regions (R1, R2 and R3), and waist circumference.

Results:

All markers of central body fat were negatively associated with vigorous PA (P<0.01) after controlling for sex, age and pubertal status. Abdominal adiposity measured at R1, R2 and R3 was also negatively associated with MVPA (P⩽0.001), and with average PA (P<0.01). All markers of total body fat were negatively associated with vigorous PA (P<0.01), MVPA (P<0.01) and average PA (P<0.05). Adolescents engaged on at least 60 min day−1 MVPA presented lower levels of total (P<0.05) and central body fat (P⩽0.01).

Conclusions:

The results suggest that vigorous PA may have a greater effect on preventing obesity in adolescents than does PA of lower intensity, whereas both average PA and at least moderate PA may have an impact on total and central body fat in youth.

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Acknowledgements

The HELENA Study took place with the financial support of the European Community Sixth RTD Framework Programme (Contract FOOD-CT: 2005-007034). This work was also partially supported by the European Union, in the framework of the Public Health Programme (ALPHA project, Ref: 2006120), the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research (FAS), and the Spanish Ministry of Education (EX-2007-1124, and AP-2004-2745). The content of this paper reflect only the authors’ views and the rest of HELENA study members and the European Community is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

Author information

Author notes

  1. D Moliner-Urdiales, J R Ruiz, F B Ortega, J P Rey-Lopez, G Vicente-Rodriguez, V España-Romero, D Munguía-Izquierdo, M J Castillo, M Sjöström and L A Moreno: For complete information regarding Helena Study Members, please see the Appendix.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Growth, Exercise, NUtrition and Development Research Group (GENUD), Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain

    D Moliner-Urdiales, J P Rey-Lopez, G Vicente-Rodriguez & L A Moreno

  2. Department of Biosciences and Nutrition at NOVUM, Unit for Preventive Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    D Moliner-Urdiales, J R Ruiz, F B Ortega, V España-Romero & M Sjöström

  3. Department of Medical Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain

    F B Ortega, V España-Romero & M J Castillo

  4. Department of Physiotherapy and Nursing, Faculty of Health and Sport Science (FCSD), Universidad de Zaragoza, Huesca, Spain

    G Vicente-Rodriguez

  5. Facultad de Ciencias del Deporte, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain

    D Munguía-Izquierdo

  6. Department of Physiotherapy and Nursing, School of Health Science (EUCS), Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain

    L A Moreno

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Consortia

on behalf of the HELENA Study Group

Corresponding author

Correspondence to D Moliner-Urdiales.

Additional information

The content of this paper reflects only on the authors’ views and the rest of the HELENA study members are not responsible for it.

Appendix

Appendix

HELENA Study Group

Co-ordinator: Luis A Moreno.

Core Group members: Luis A Moreno, Fréderic Gottrand, Stefaan De Henauw, Marcela González-Gross, Chantal Gilbert.

Steering Committee: Anthony Kafatos (President), Luis A Moreno, Christian Libersa, Stefaan De Henauw, Jackie Sánchez, Fréderic Gottrand, Mathilde Kersting, Michael Sjöstrom, Dénes Molnár, Marcela González-Gross, Jean Dallongeville, Chantal Gilbert, Gunnar Hall, Lea Maes, Luca Scalfi.

Project Manager: Pilar Meléndez.

Universidad de Zaragoza (Spain)

Luis A. Moreno, Jesús Fleta, José A Casajús, Gerardo Rodríguez, Concepción Tomás, María I Mesana, Germán Vicente-Rodríguez, Adoración Villarroya, Carlos M Gil, Ignacio Ara, Juan Revenga, Carmen Lachen, Juan Fernández Alvira, Gloria Bueno, Aurora Lázaro, Olga Bueno, Juan F León, Jesús Ma Garagorri, Manuel Bueno, Juan Pablo Rey López, Iris Iglesia, Paula Velasco, Silvia Bel.

Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Spain)

Ascensión Marcos, Julia Wärnberg, Esther Nova, Sonia Gómez, Esperanza Ligia Díaz, Javier Romeo, Ana Veses, Mari Angeles Puertollano, Belén Zapatera, Tamara Pozo.

Université de Lille 2 (France)

Laurent Beghin, Christian Libersa, Frédéric Gottrand, Catalina Iliescu, Juliana Von Berlepsch.

Research Institute of Child Nutrition Dortmund, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn (Germany)

Mathilde Kersting, Wolfgang Sichert-Hellert, Ellen Koeppen.

Pécsi Tudományegyetem (University of Pécs) (Hungary)

Dénes Molnar, Eva Erhardt, Katalin Csernus, Katalin Török, Szilvia Bokor, Mrs Angster, Enikö Nagy, Orsolya Kovács, Judit Répasi.

University of Crete School of Medicine (Greece)

Anthony Kafatos, Caroline Codrington, María Plada, Angeliki Papadaki, Katerina Sarri, Anna Viskadourou, Christos Hatzis, Michael Kiriakakis, George Tsibinos, Constantine Vardavas Manolis Sbokos, Eva Protoyeraki, Maria Fasoulaki.

Institut für Ernährungs und Lebensmittelwissenschaften – Ernährungphysiologie. Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität (Germany)

Peter Stehle, Klaus Pietrzik, Marcela González-Gross, Christina Breidenassel, Andre Spinneker, Jasmin Al-Tahan, Miriam Segoviano, Anke Berchtold, Christine Bierschbach, Erika Blatzheim, Adelheid Schuch, Petra Pickert.

University of Granada (Spain)

Manuel J. Castillo Garzón, Ángel Gutiérrez Sáinz, Francisco B. Ortega Porcel, Jonatan R Ruiz, Enrique García Artero, Vanesa España Romero, David Jiménez-Pavón, Cristóbal Sánchez Muñoz, Victor Soto, Palma Chillón, Jose M. Heredia, Virginia Aparicio, Pedro Baena, Claudia M. Cardia, Ana Carbonell.

Istituto Nazionalen di Ricerca per gli Alimenti e la Nutrizione (Italy)

Davide Arcella, Giovina Catasta, Laura Censi, Donatella Ciarapica, Marika Ferrari, Cinzia Le Donne, Catherine Leclerq, Luciana Magrì, Giuseppe Maiani, Rafaela Piccinelli, Angela Polito, Raffaela Spada, Elisabetta Toti.

University of Napoli “Federico II” Dept of Food Science (Italy)

Luca Scalfi, Paola Vitaglione, Concetta Montagnese.

Ghent University (Belgium)

Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij, Stefaan De Henauw, Tineke De Vriendt, Lea Maes, Christophe Matthys, Carine Vereecken, Mieke de Maeyer, Charlene Ottevaere

Medical University of Vienna (Austria)

Kurt Widhalm, Katharina Phillipp, Sabine Dietrich, Birgit Kubelka Marion Boriss-Riedl.

Harokopio University (Greece)

Yannis Manios, Eva Grammatikaki, Zoi Bouloubasi, Tina Louisa Cook, Sofia Eleutheriou, Orsalia Consta, George Moschonis, Ioanna Katsaroli, George Kraniou, Stalo Papoutsou, Despoina Keke, Ioanna Petraki, Elena Bellou, Sofia Tanagra, Kostalenia Kallianoti, Dionysia Argyropoulou, Katerina Kondaki, Stamatoula Tsikrika, Christos Karaiskos.

Institut Pasteur de Lille (France)

Jean Dallongeville, Aline Meirhaeghe, Szilvia Bokor, Nathalie Fievet, Louisa Goumidi.

Karolinska Institutet (Sweden)

Michael Sjöstrom, Patrick Bergman, María Hagströmer, Lena Hallström, Mårten Hallberg, Eric Poortvliet, Julia Wärnberg, Nico Rizzo, Linda Beckman, Anita Hurtig Wennlöf, Emma Patterson, Lydia Kwak, Lars Cernerud, Per Tillgren, Stefaan Sörensen.

Asociación de Investigación de la Industria Agroalimentaria (Spain)

Jackie Sánchez-Molero, Elena Picó, Maite Navarro, Blanca Viadel, José Enrique Carreres, Gema Merino, Rosa Sanjuán, María Lorente, María José Sánchez, Sara Castelló.

Campden and Chorleywood Food Research Association (United Kingdom)

Chantal Gilbert, Sarah Thomas, Elaine Allchurch, Peter Burguess.

SIK - Institutet foer Livsmedel och Bioteknik (Sweden)

Gunnar Hall, Annika Astrom, Anna Sverkén, Agneta Broberg.

Meurice Recherche & Development asbl (Belgium)

Annick Masson, Claire Lehoux, Pascal Brabant, Philippe Pate, Laurence Fontaine.

Campden and Chorleywood Food Development Institute (Hungary)

Andras Sebok, Tunde Kuti, Adrienn Hegyi.

Productos Aditivos SA (Spain)

Cristina Maldonado, Ana Llorente.

Cárnicas Serrano SL (Spain)

Emilio García.

Cederroth International AB (Sweden)

Holger von Fircks, Marianne Lilja Hallberg, Maria Messerer

Lantmännen Food R&D (Sweden)

Mats Larsson, Helena Fredriksson, Viola Adamsson, Ingmar Börjesson.

European Food Information Council (Belgium)

Laura Fernández, Laura Smillie, Josephine Wills.

Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain)

Marcela González-Gross, Agustín Meléndez, Pedro J Benito, Javier Calderón, David Jiménez-Pavón, Jara Valtueña, Paloma Navarro, Alejandro Urzanqui, Ulrike Albers, Raquel Pedrero, Juan José Gómez Lorente.

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Moliner-Urdiales, D., Ruiz, J., Ortega, F. et al. Association of objectively assessed physical activity with total and central body fat in Spanish adolescents; The HELENA Study. Int J Obes 33, 1126–1135 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2009.139

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