The Mediating Role of Physical Inactivity on the Relationship between Inflammation and Artery Thickness in Prepubertal Adolescents

Objective: To analyze the relationship between inflammatory markers and the lipid profile, blood flow, and artery structure in prepubertal adolescents stratified according to sports practice.Study design The sample was composed of 120 adolescents (57 boys and 63 girls) with a mean age of 11.7 +/- 0.7 years (ranging from 11 to 13 years). Intima-media thickness (IMT) and blood flow were measured with ultrasonography. The lipid profile and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were measured after the subjects had fasted for 12 hours overnight. Trunk fatness was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Organized sports participation was analyzed as a categorical variable. Biological maturation was determined via the age at peak height velocity. Results: In the adjusted model, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein was significantly related to high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (beta = -5.797 [-11.500 to -0.093]), femoral IMT (beta = 0.062 [0.008-0.116]), and the sum of femoral and carotid IMT (beta = 1.107 [0.223-1.919]), but only in the group without sports participation. Slopes of the crude linear regression were greater in the group without sports participation for femoral IMT (t = 2.621; P = .009) and the sum of femoral and carotid IMT (t = 2.876; P = .004) when compared with the group with sports participation. Conclusion: Independent of body fatness and biological maturation, inflammatory status was related to artery IMT and dyslipidemia in prepubertal adolescents, modulated by sport participation.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Multivariate relationships among morphology, fitness and motor coordination in prepubertal girls

Motor coordination and physical fitness are multidimensional concepts which cannot be reduced to a single variable. This study evaluated multivariate relationships among morphology, physical fitness and motor coordination in 74 pre-pubertal girls 8.0-8.9 years of age. Data included body dimensions, eight fitness items and four motor coordination tasks (KTK battery). Maturity status was estimated as percentage of predicted mature stature attained at the time of observation. Canonical correlation analysis was used to examine the relationships between multivariate domains. Significant pairs of linear functions between indicators of morphology and fitness (r(c) = 0.778, Wilks' Lambda = 0.175), and between fitness and motor coordination (r(c) = 0.765, Wilks' Lambda = 0.289) were identified. Girls who were lighter and had a lower waist-to-stature ratio and % fat mass attained better scores in the endurance run, sit-ups and standing long jump tests, but poorer performances in hand grip strength and 2-kg ball throw. Better fitness test scores were also associated with better motor coordination scores. Relationships between body size and estimated fatness with motor fitness suggested an inverse relationship that was particularly evident in performance items that required the displacement of the body through space, while motor coordination was more closely related with fitness than with somatic variables

Neighborhood Socioeconomic Deprivation and Gender Disparities in Children with Excessive Body Weight in a Southern European Municipality

Funding Information: This research was funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), grant number PTDC/DTP-SAP/1520/2014. Publisher Copyright: © 2025 by the authors.Background/Objectives: Previous research has indicated that gender differences exist in the relationship between neighborhood socioeconomic (SE) deprivation and childhood excessive body weight. However, none of these studies were conducted in a metropolitan area of southern Europe. This study aims to investigate whether the association between neighborhood SE deprivation and childhood excessive body weight in the capital of the Porto Metropolitan Area is influenced by gender. Methods: The sample comprised 832 children (434 girls) aged between 3 and 10 years. Weight and height measurements were taken objectively, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. The International Obesity Task Force cutoffs were used to identify the children with excessive body weight. Neighborhood SE deprivation was measured using the 2011 Portuguese version of the European Deprivation Index. Logistic regression models were applied for data analysis. Results: Overall, 27.8% of the participating children had excessive body weight. The prevalence of excessive body weight was higher in the neighborhoods characterized by high SE deprivation compared to those with low SE deprivation (34.4% vs. 23.1%). In a multivariable analysis, the girls living in high SE deprivation neighborhoods had a 90% higher risk of excessive body weight compared to the girls in low SE deprivation neighborhoods (OR = 1.90; 95% CI: 1.05–3.44; p = 0.035). No significant association was observed between neighborhood SE deprivation and body weight in the boys. Conclusions: The findings indicate that neighborhood SE deprivation substantially increases the risk of excessive body weight, particularly among girls. Therefore, prevention and intervention strategies aimed at addressing excessive body weight gain should specifically target the populations and areas that are at a higher risk.publishersversionpublishe

What has changed from 2009 vs. 2016

Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The AuthorsIntroduction: Physical activity (PA) is beneficial for health. However, most children do not achieve the daily recommended PA levels. This study assesses changes in parental perception of the neighborhood environment from 2009 to 2016 across three Portuguese districts, and explores the associations between parental perception of the neighborhood environment and children's time in multiple health-related behaviors. Methods: We use two national cross-sectional surveys (2009 and 2016) on 3-10-year-old children. Parents reported children's time (min/day) in different activities (e.g., active transportation, indoor and outdoor play, sport participation, watching television, using computer, and using videogames) as well as perceptions of the neighborhood features. Analyses were stratified by year, and child's sex, age, family socioeconomic status, and district of residence were considered. Results: Neighborhood features were better rated in 2016 vs. 2009. Major improvements were found related with facilities to ride a bicycle and more sense of security, although some geographical differences were noted. Major time-consuming behaviors differed: in 2009, playing indoor was the most common behavior (124 min/day); in 2016, outdoor play was the activity that consumed more time (125 min/day). The linear regression supports that walkability and safety perceptions potentiate children's PA, while PA features associate with screen-time. Conclusions: National policies and investments may have promoted healthier neighborhoods. Findings can point to environmental actions’ priority (e.g., promote active transportation), but caution is needed since time devoted on health-related behaviors was poorly explained by the environment.publishersversionpublishe

Self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress in Portuguese primary school-aged children

Costa D, Cunha M, Ferreira C, et al. Self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress in Portuguese primary school-aged children. BMC Psychiatry. 2020;20(1): 87

Relationship between functional fitness, medication costs and mood in elderly people

Objective: to verify if functional fitness (FF) is associated with the annual cost of medication consumption and mood states (MSt) in elderly people. Methods: a cross-sectional study with 229 elderly people aged 65 years or more at Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Coimbra, Portugal. Seniors with physical and psychological limitations were excluded, as well as those using medication that limits performance on the tests. The Senior Fitness Test was used to evaluate FF, and the Profile of Mood States - Short Form to evaluate the MSt. The statistical analysis was based on Mancova, with adjustment for age, for comparison between men and women, and adjustment for sex, for comparison between cardiorespiratory fitness quintiles. The association between the variables under study was made with partial correlation, controlling for the effects of age, sex and body mass index. Results: an inverse correlation between cardiorespiratory fitness and the annual cost of medication consumption was found (p < 0.01). FF is also inversely associated with MSt (p < 0.05). Comparisons between cardiorespiratory fitness quintiles showed higher medication consumption costs in seniors with lower aerobic endurance, as well as higher deterioration in MSt (p < 0.01). Conclusion: elderly people with better FF and, specifically, better cardiorespiratory fitness present lower medication consumption costs and a more positive MSt

Relationship Between Sleep, Eating Habits and Childhood Obesity Rates: A Systematic Review / Relação entre sono, hábitos alimentares e taxas de obesidade infantil: Uma Revisão Sistemática

Objetivo: Analisar a influência da associação dos hábitos de sono e alimentação da população pediátrica e sua possível relação com os níveis de obesidade infantil. Fonte de dados: A pesquisa foi realizada nas bases de dados, PubMed, Web of Science e Scielo, selecionando artigos em inglês, português e espanhol, utilizando os termos “Obesit* child* AND sleep* hour* OR eat* habits” determinados pelos descritores Mesh da PubMed. Síntese de dados: De acordo com os dados obtidos nesta revisão sistemática através dos 9 estudos selecionados, podemos observar que os hábitos inadequados de sono são um fator de alta relevância no que diz respeito ao aumento dos índices de sobrepeso e obesidade na população pediátrica, uma vez que possuem relação direta com os hábitos alimentares que aumentam a predisposição a esta condição bem como da inatividade física. Conclusão: A manutenção de uma rotina de hábitos saudáveis de sono considerando tempo e qualidade são de extrema importância para a diminuição do número de crianças em situação de obesidade bem como as possíveis doenças que podem se desenvolver a partir desta condição

Worldwide trends in diabetes prevalence and treatment from 1990 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 1108 population-representative studies with 141 million participants

Background: Diabetes can be detected at the primary health-care level, and effective treatments lower the risk of complications. There are insufficient data on the coverage of treatment for diabetes and how it has changed. We estimated trends from 1990 to 2022 in diabetes prevalence and treatment for 200 countries and territories. Methods: We used data from 1108 population-representative studies with 141 million participants aged 18 years and older with measurements of fasting glucose and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), and information on diabetes treatment. We defined diabetes as having a fasting plasma glucose (FPG) of 7·0 mmol/L or higher, having an HbA1c of 6·5% or higher, or taking medication for diabetes. We defined diabetes treatment as the proportion of people with diabetes who were taking medication for diabetes. We analysed the data in a Bayesian hierarchical meta-regression model to estimate diabetes prevalence and treatment. Findings: In 2022, an estimated 828 million (95% credible interval [CrI] 757–908) adults (those aged 18 years and older) had diabetes, an increase of 630 million (554–713) from 1990. From 1990 to 2022, the age-standardised prevalence of diabetes increased in 131 countries for women and in 155 countries for men with a posterior probability of more than 0·80. The largest increases were in low-income and middle-income countries in southeast Asia (eg, Malaysia), south Asia (eg, Pakistan), the Middle East and north Africa (eg, Egypt), and Latin America and the Caribbean (eg, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Costa Rica). Age-standardised prevalence neither increased nor decreased with a posterior probability of more than 0·80 in some countries in western and central Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, east Asia and the Pacific, Canada, and some Pacific island nations where prevalence was already high in 1990; it decreased with a posterior probability of more than 0·80 in women in Japan, Spain, and France, and in men in Nauru. The lowest prevalence in the world in 2022 was in western Europe and east Africa for both sexes, and in Japan and Canada for women, and the highest prevalence in the world in 2022 was in countries in Polynesia and Micronesia, some countries in the Caribbean and the Middle East and north Africa, as well as Pakistan and Malaysia. In 2022, 445 million (95% CrI 401–496) adults aged 30 years or older with diabetes did not receive treatment (59% of adults aged 30 years or older with diabetes), 3·5 times the number in 1990. From 1990 to 2022, diabetes treatment coverage increased in 118 countries for women and 98 countries for men with a posterior probability of more than 0·80. The largest improvement in treatment coverage was in some countries from central and western Europe and Latin America (Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Costa Rica), Canada, South Korea, Russia, Seychelles, and Jordan. There was no increase in treatment coverage in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa; the Caribbean; Pacific island nations; and south, southeast, and central Asia. In 2022, age-standardised treatment coverage was lowest in countries in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia, and treatment coverage was less than 10% in some African countries. Treatment coverage was 55% or higher in South Korea, many high-income western countries, and some countries in central and eastern Europe (eg, Poland, Czechia, and Russia), Latin America (eg, Costa Rica, Chile, and Mexico), and the Middle East and north Africa (eg, Jordan, Qatar, and Kuwait). Interpretation: In most countries, especially in low-income and middle-income countries, diabetes treatment has not increased at all or has not increased sufficiently in comparison with the rise in prevalence. The burden of diabetes and untreated diabetes is increasingly borne by low-income and middle-income countries. The expansion of health insurance and primary health care should be accompanied with diabetes programmes that realign and resource health services to enhance the early detection and effective treatment of diabetes. Funding: UK Medical Research Council, UK Research and Innovation (Research England), and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Global variation in diabetes diagnosis and prevalence based on fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1c

Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) are both used to diagnose diabetes, but these measurements can identify different people as having diabetes. We used data from 117 population-based studies and quantified, in different world regions, the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes, and whether those who were previously undiagnosed and detected as having diabetes in survey screening, had elevated FPG, HbA1c or both. We developed prediction equations for estimating the probability that a person without previously diagnosed diabetes, and at a specific level of FPG, had elevated HbA1c, and vice versa. The age-standardized proportion of diabetes that was previously undiagnosed and detected in survey screening ranged from 30% in the high-income western region to 66% in south Asia. Among those with screen-detected diabetes with either test, the age-standardized proportion who had elevated levels of both FPG and HbA1c was 29-39% across regions; the remainder had discordant elevation of FPG or HbA1c. In most low- and middle-income regions, isolated elevated HbA1c was more common than isolated elevated FPG. In these regions, the use of FPG alone may delay diabetes diagnosis and underestimate diabetes prevalence. Our prediction equations help allocate finite resources for measuring HbA1c to reduce the global shortfall in diabetes diagnosis and surveillance