Association between Objectively measured Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior with Body Composition among Primary School Children

Abstract

Background: Physical activity (PA) plays a crucial role in the overall well-being of children in the long term. The present study aimed to investigate the correlation between PA, sedentary behavior (SB), and body composition (BC) among primary school children.Methods: This descriptive-correlational study was conducted in Ali-Abad-Katoul, Iran in 2023. A sample size of 322 boys was selected using convenience sampling method. ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometer and Body Composition X-Scan Plus II were used for measuring PA pattern and BC. Pearson correlation and Independent t tests were used to analyze the data.Results: The accelerometer data revealed that participants spent 67.55% of the total time in SB. Moreover, on average, daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was 49.71±22.37 minutes. Accordingly, the daily energy expenditure was 558.39±250.17 kcal. SB was directly and significantly associated with Body Mass Index (BMI) (r=0.628, P<0.001) and Mass of Body Fat (MBF) (r=0.347, P<0.001). In addition, our results revealed an inverse and significant correlation between MVPA with BMI (r=-0.849, P<0.001) and MBF (r=-0.716, P<0.001). Finally, the children who did meet the MVPA guideline had significantly lower BMI (t=-3.781, P<0.001) and MBF (t=4.892, P<0.001) and higher Skeletal Muscle Mass (SMM) (t=4.209, P<0.001) than those who did not meet the MVPA guideline.Conclusions: These findings suggested that vigorous PA and SB play a role in controlling children’s adiposity, highlighting the importance of engaging children in high-intensity PA and reducing SB.

Keywords

• child
• exercise
• obesity
• sedentary
• intensity