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This study aimed to examine the association between breastfeeding and childhood obesity. A multinational cross‐sectional study of 4,740 children aged 9–11 years was conducted from 12 countries. Infant breastfeeding was recalled by parents or legal guardians. Height, weight, waist circumference, and body fat were obtained using standardized methods. The overall prevalence of obesity, central obesity, and high body fat were 12.3%, 9.9%, and 8.1%, respectively. After adjustment for maternal age at delivery, body mass index (BMI), highest maternal education, history of gestational diabetes, gestational age, and child's age, sex, birth weight, unhealthy diet pattern scores, moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity, sleeping, and sedentary time, exclusive breastfeeding was associated with lower odds of obesity (odds ratio [OR] 0.76, 95% confidence interval, CI [0.57, 1.00]) and high body fat (OR 0.60, 95% CI [0.43, 0.84]) compared with exclusive formula feeding. The multivariable‐adjusted ORs based on different breastfeeding durations (none, 1–6, 6–12, and > 12 months) were 1.00, 0.74, 0.70, and 0.60 for obesity (Ptrend =.020) and 1.00, 0.64, 047, and 0.64 for high body fat (Ptrend =.012), respectively. These associations were no longer significant after adjustment for maternal BMI. Breastfeeding may be a protective factor for obesity and high body fat in 9‐ to 11‐year‐old children from 12 countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Canadian 24-h movement guidelines were developed with the hope of improving health and future health outcomes in children and youth. The purpose of this study was to evaluate adherence to the 3 recommendations most strongly associated with health outcomes in new 24-h movement guidelines and their relationship with adiposity (obesity and body mass index z-score) across countries participating in the International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE). Methods: Cross-sectional results were based on 6128 children aged 9-11 years from the 12 countries of ISCOLE. Sleep duration and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were assessed using accelerometry. Screen time was measured through self-report. Body weight and height were measured. Body mass index (BMI, kg ⋅ m-2) was calculated, and BMI z-scores were computed using age- and sex-specific reference data from the World Health Organization. Obesity was defined as a BMI z-score > +2 SD. Meeting the overall 24-h movement guidelines was defined as: 9 to 11 h/night of sleep, ≤2 h/day of screen time, and at least 60 min/day of MVPA. Age, sex, highest parental education and unhealthy diet pattern score were included as covariates in statistical models. Associations between meeting vs. not meeting each single recommendation (and combinations) with obesity were assessed with odds ratios calculated using generalized linear mixed models. A linear mixed model was used to examine the differences in BMI z-scores between children meeting vs. not meeting the different combinations of recommendations. Results: The global prevalence of children meeting the overall recommendations (all three behaviors) was 7%, with children from Australia and Canada showing the highest adherence (15%). Children meeting the three recommendations had lower odds ratios for obesity compared to those meeting none of the recommendations (OR = 0.28, 95% CI 0.18-0.45). Compared to not meeting the 24-h movement recommendations either independently or combined, meeting them was significantly associated with a lower BMI z-score. Whenever the MVPA recommendation was included in the analysis the odds ratios for obesity were lower. Conclusions: For ISCOLE participants meeting these 3 healthy movement recommendations the odds ratios of being obese or having high BMI z-scores were lower. However, only a small percentage of children met all recommendations. Future efforts should aim to find promising ways to increase daily physical activity, reduce screen time, and ensure an adequate night's sleep in children. Trial registration: The International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE) was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier NCT01722500) (October 29, 2012). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between movement behaviours (sleep duration, sedentary time, physical activity) and health indicators in a representative sample of children and youth using compositional analyses. Cross-sectional findings are based on 4169 children and youth (aged 6-17 years) from cycles 1 to 3 of the Canadian Health Measures Survey. Sedentary time (SB), light-intensity physical activity (LPA), and moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) were accelerometer-derived. Sleep duration was subjectively measured. Body mass index z scores, waist circumference, blood pressure, behavioural strengths and difficulties, and aerobic fitness were measured in the full sample. Triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, C-reactive protein, and insulin were measured in a fasting subsample. The composition of movement behaviours was entered into linear regression models via an isometric log ratio transformation and was found to be associated with all health indicators (p < 0.01). Relative to other movement behaviours, time spent in SB or LPA was positively associated (p < 0.04) and time spent in MVPA or sleep was negatively associated (p < 0.02) with obesity risk markers. Similarly, LPA was positively associated (p < 0.005) and sleep was negatively associated (p < 0.03) with unfavourable behavioural strengths and difficulties scores and systolic blood pressure. Relative to other movement behaviours, time spent in SB was negatively associated (p < 0.001) and time spent in MVPA (p < 0.001) was positively associated with aerobic fitness. Likewise, MVPA was also negatively associated with several cardiometabolic risk markers (p < 0.008). Compositional data analyses provide novel insights into collective health implications of 24-h movement behaviours and can facilitate interesting avenues for future investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Physical activity is associated with the reduction of several chronic conditions in adults. Additionally, physical activity is extremely important for children for their development and cognitive functioning and also to create a physically active lifestyle that continues into adulthood. Despite the known benefits of physical activity, only one in five adults are achieving the public health recommendations of 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week and only 13 % of boys and 6 % of girls between the ages of 5 and 17 years are meeting the guidelines of 60 minutes per day. This study aims to evaluate whether a planning condition improves adherence to regular physical activity compared to an education-only control condition among families. Families are eligible if there is at least one child between the ages of 6 and 12 years who is not meeting the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines.Methods/design: A six-month longitudinal randomized controlled trial will be used to compare the two conditions. Materials will be delivered at baseline with 'booster' sessions at six weeks and three months. Participants will be assessed at baseline and at six months with a fitness test, as well as questionnaires and accelerometery at baseline, six weeks, three months and six months. A total of 137 families have been recruited thus far from Greater Victoria. This study is ongoing and recruitment will continue until December 2015 with the target goal of reaching 160 families.Discussion: This protocol describes the implementation of a randomized controlled trial that utilizes planning strategies to try and increase physical activity among families. Research findings could be useful in public health in providing effective strategies to families to help decrease sedentary lifestyles. Additionally, findings may help to inform future interventions aimed at increasing physical activity among families.Trial Registration: This trial was registered on June 5, 2012 with the Clinical Trials Registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health. The registration ID is NCT01882192. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the influence of different forms of added sugar intake on diet quality or their association with obesity among youth. Dietary intake was assessed by three 24-h recalls in 613 Canadian children (aged 8-10 years). Added sugars (mean of 3-day intakes) were categorized according to source (solid or liquid). Dietary intake and the Canadian Healthy Eating Index (« HEI-C ») were compared across tertiles of solid and liquid added sugars separately as were adiposity indicators (body mass index (BMI), fat mass (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), and waist circumference). Cross-sectional associations were examined in linear regression models adjusting for age, sex, energy intake, and physical activity (7-day accelerometer). Added sugar contributed 12% of total energy intake (204 kcal) on average, of which 78% was from solid sources. Higher consumption of added sugars from either solid or liquid source was associated with higher total energy, lower intake of micronutrients, vegetables and fruit, and lower HEI-C score. Additionally liquid sources were associated with lower intake of dairy products. A 10-g higher consumption of added sugars from liquid sources was associated with 0.4 serving/day lower of vegetables and fruit, 0.4-kg/m2 higher BMI, a 0.5-kg higher fat mass, and a 0.9-cm higher waist circumference whereas the associations of added sugars from solid sources and adiposity indicators tended to be negative. In conclusion, higher consumption of added sugar from either solid or liquid sources was associated with lower overall diet quality. Adiposity indicators were only positively associated with added sugars from liquid sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the tracking of short-term muscle power, speed, and physical activity over a 15-month period in a sample of healthy Canadian preschool-aged children. Seventeen preschoolers (age, 4.4 ± 0.8 years) completed exercise testing and physical activity monitoring at baseline and follow-up separated by 14.6 ± 4.1 months. Short-term muscle power was measured using a modified 10-s Wingate test with peak power and mean power normalized to body mass. Speed was assessed with a 25-m dash. Physical activity was measured by accelerometry (Actigraph GT1M) using a 3-s epoch over 7 consecutive days. Total physical activity and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, expressed as a percentage of accelerometer wear time, were examined. Tracking of the variables between year 1 and year 2 was analyzed using Spearman rank order correlations and Kappa statistics. Paired t-tests were used to assess differences in performance and physical activity between year 1 and year 2. Total physical activity was not significantly different at year 2 (p > 0.05) and showed fair tracking (r = 0.51, p = 0.05; κ = 0.30). Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was increased at year 2 (p = 0.03) and exhibited poor tracking (r = 0.29, p = 0.28; κ = 0.00). Short-term muscle power and speed was increased at year 2 (p < 0.0001) and exhibited significant tracking: peak power (r = 0.72, p = 0.001; κ = 0.46), mean power (r = 0.83, p = 0.00004; κ = 0.82), and 25-m dash (r = 0.82, p = 0.0001; κ = 0.47). Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity increased in this sample of boys and girls during the preschool years, and short-term muscle power and speed exhibited stronger tracking than physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Biochemical Evaluation of a Health Intervention Programme (B.E. H.I.P.) investigated the impact of progressive exercise intensity in overweight and obese children. A 5-month prospective randomized crossover design (XA, immediate intervention; OB, control group; XB, delayed intervention, OA, postintervention follow-up) with a 10-week health intervention programme was employed. The intervention utilized a progressive increase in high-intensity exercise (≥75% maximum heart rate) and included 3 nutrition and 2 parent education sessions. Primary analysis was completed with ( i) XA versus OB and ( ii) all intervention participants (collapsed XA and XB = XAXB). Prepubertal overweight and obese male and female children ( n = 27) between 5 and 10 years of age were randomly allocated to XA ( n = 16; 11 females; waist circumference = 80.0 ± 10.6 cm) or OB ( n = 11; 3 females; waist circumference = 76.6 ± 7.5 cm). The primary variables were heart rate and percent fat mass. All variables, including body composition, habitual activity, and serum lipids, were repeatedly measured for up to a maximum of 7 time points. Energy expenditure was quantitatively measured throughout each exercise class ( n = 20). A significantly longer time in the exercise sessions was spent in high-intensity (35.1%-60.0%) versus low- to moderate-intensity (64.9%-40.0%) exercise as the intervention progressed from the first to the last attended exercise class (Fisher exact test, p < 0.0001). The percent fat mass decreased in all intervention participants (-2.2%, p < 0.0001). XA had a greater slope decrease than OB for percent fat mass ( p = 0.00051) and triglycerides ( p = 0.0467). In conclusion, high-intensity exercise, within a comprehensive health programme that includes nutrition education, improved the lipid and physiological health profiles of obese children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]