Determinants of changes in sedentary time and breaks in sedentary time among 9 and 12 year old children

The current study aimed to identify the determinants of objectively measured changes in sedentary time and sedentary fragmentation from age 9 - to age 12 years. Data were collected as part of the Gateshead Millennium Birth Cohort study from September 2008 - August 2009 and from January 2012 - November 2012. Participants were 9.3 (±0.4) years at baseline (n=508) and 12.5 (±0.3) years at follow-up (n=427). Sedentary behaviour was measured using an ActiGraph GT1M accelerometer. Twenty potential determinants were measured, within a socio-ecological model, and tested for their association with changes in sedentary time and the extent to which sedentary behaviour is prolonged or interrupted (fragmentation index). Univariate and multivariate linear regression analysis were conducted. Measurements taken during winter and a greater decrease in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) over time were associated with larger increases in sedentary time (seasonality β:-3.03; 95% CI:-4.52,-1.54; and change in MVPA β:-1.68; 95% CI:-1.94, -1.41). Attendance at sport clubs was associated with smaller increases in sedentary time (-1.99; -3.44, -0.54). Girls showed larger decreases in fragmentation index (-0.52; -1.01, -0.02). Interventions aimed at decreasing the decline in MVPA and increasing/maintaining sport club attendance may prevent the rise in sedentary time as children grow older. In addition, winter could be targeted to prevent an increase in sedentary time and reduction in sedentary fragmentation during this season

Physical activity, diet and BMI in children aged 6–8 years : a cross-sectional analysis

Objective To assess relationships between current physical activity (PA), dietary intake and body mass index (BMI) in English children. Longitudinal birth cohort study in northeast England, cross-sectional analysis. Participants 425 children (41% of the original cohort) aged 6–8 years (49% boys). Main outcome measures PA over 7 days was measured objectively by an accelerometer; three categories of PA were created: ‘active’ ≥60 min/day moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA); ‘moderately active’ 30–59 min/day MVPA; ‘inactive’ <30 min/day MVPA. Dietary intake over 4 days was measured using a prospective dietary assessment tool which incorporated elements of the food diary and food frequency methods. Three diet categories were created: ‘healthy’, ‘unhealthy’ and ‘mixed’, according to the number of portions of different foods consumed. Adherence to the ‘5-a-day’ recommendations for portions of fruit and vegetables was also assessed. Children were classified as ‘healthy weight’ or ‘overweight or obese’ (OW/OB) according to International Obesity Taskforce cutpoints for BMI. Associations between weight status and PA/diet categories were analysed using logistic regression. Few children met the UK-recommended guidelines for either MVPA or fruit and vegetable intake, with just 7% meeting the recommended amount of MVPA of 60 min/day, and 3% meeting the 5-a-day fruit and vegetable recommendation. Higher PA was associated with a lower OR for OW/OB in boys only (0.20, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.88). There was no association detected between dietary intake and OW/OB in either sex. Increasing MVPA may help to reduce OW/OB in boys; however, more research is required to examine this relationship in girls. Children are not meeting the UK guidelines for diet and PA, and more needs to be done to improve this situation

Undernutrition in British Haredi infants within the Gateshead Millennium Cohort Study

&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Objective&lt;/b&gt; During a study of weight faltering it was observed that infants from a minority Haredi (ultra-Orthodox Jewish) religious group showed very different growth patterns from the rest of the cohort. The authors thus set out to explore the characteristics of the community that may explain these differences.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Setting and subjects&lt;/b&gt; Gateshead Millennium Study cohort, UK.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Design&lt;/b&gt; Prospective population-based cohort study of 961 term infants (of whom 33 were from the Haredi community) recruited shortly after birth and followed by postal questionnaires and measurement at age 13 months.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Results&lt;/b&gt; At birth Haredi children had similar weights to the rest of the cohort, but by the age of a year the Haredi babies were significantly lighter (mean difference −1.06; p&#60;0.001) and shorter even after allowing for parental heights (length z score mean difference –0.5; p=0.02). They were much more likely to have had weight faltering at some point: Haredi 48%, remainder 11%; RR=4.36; p&#60;0.001. The Haredi families were much larger (54% had 5–12 siblings) were breast fed for longer (67% &#62;4 months vs 15% of remainder; p&#60;0.01) and started solids later (mean difference (CI) 7.5 (5.3 to 9.8) weeks; p&#60;0.001) and these factors largely explained the differences in weight gain.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Conclusions&lt;/b&gt; The extreme growth patterns seen in these children seem to relate to large family size and delayed and inadequate introduction of complementary solids, which are known risk factors for malnutrition in less affluent societies.&lt;/p&gt

Surveillance of physical activity in the UK is flawed : validation of the health survey for England physical activity questionnaire

Public health surveillance of physical activity in children in the UK depends on a parent-reported physical activity questionnaire which has not been validated. We aimed to validate this questionnaire against measurement of physical activity using accelerometry in 6–7-year-old children. In 130 children aged 6–7 years (64 boys, 66 girls) we estimated habitual moderate–vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) using the Health Survey for England parent-report questionnaire for physical activity. For the same time period and the same children, we measured MVPA objectively using 7-day accelerometry with the Actigraph accelerometer. The questionnaire over-estimated MVPA significantly (paired t test, p<0.01). Mean error (bias) when using the questionnaire was 122 min/day (95% CI 124 to 169). Mean time spent in MVPA was 146 min/day (95% CI 124 to 169) using the questionnaire and 24 min/day (95% CI 22 to 26) using the accelerometer. Rank order correlations between MVPA measured by accelerometer and estimated by the questionnaire were not statistically significant. Public health surveillance of physical activity should not rely on this questionnaire. Levels of habitual physical activity in children are likely to be substantially lower than those reported in UK health surveys

When do mothers think their child is overweight?

Objective: To quantify how overweight children have to be for their mothers to classify them as overweight and to express concern about future overweight, and to investigate the adiposity cues in children that mothers respond to. Design: Cross-sectional. Subjects: A total of 531 children from the Gateshead Millennium Study cohort at 6-8 years and their mothers. Measurements: In the mother: responses to two questions concerning the child's adiposity; height; weight; educational qualifications; and economic status. In the child: height; weight; waist circumference; skinfold thicknesses; bioelectrical impedance; and bone frame measurements. Results: The body mass index (BMI) at which half the mothers classify their child as overweight was 21.3 (in the obese range for children of this age). The BMI at which half the mothers were concerned about their child becoming overweight in the future was 17.1 (below the overweight range). Waist circumference and skinfolds contributed most to mothers' responses. Although BMI and fat scores were important predictors individually, they did not contribute independently once waist circumference and skinfolds (their most visible manifestations) were included in the regression equations. Mothers were less likely to classify girls as overweight. Mothers with higher BMIs were less likely to classify their child as overweight, but were more likely to be concerned about future overweight. Conclusion: Health promotion efforts directed at parents of young primary school children might better capitalise on their concern about future overweight in their child than on current weight status, and focus on mothers' response to more visible characteristics than the BMI. International Journal of Obesity (2011) 35, 510-516; doi: 10.1038/ijo.2010.260; published online 11 January 201

Variabilidade Espaço-Temporal do Monóxido de Carbono Sobre a América do Sul a Partir de Dados de Satélite de 2003 A 2012

Using the information of the Earth Observation System/AQUA (EOS/AQUA) satellite during the 2003-2012 period, the present work investigates the tropospheric carbon monoxide (CO) behavior over the central South American region, and its spatiotemporal variability. The results show a well-defined seasonal behavior of the CO concentration, with decrease during the wet season and increase during dry season, due to the biomass burning increase during this period. Since the biomass burning is directly associated with the climate variability, through the rainfall decrease/increase in the central and eastern South American sector, the CO possesses high variability in central Brazil, the region with the largest number of burning focus. The results also show that the CO variability in the interanual time scale is related to the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon, such that rainfall reduction (increase) in the central and eastern part of South America during the La Niña (El Niño) onset phase contributes to increase (reduce) the biomass burning and in consequence the CO emission in this region. On the other hand, during the ENSO mature stage, the great rainfall and CO concentration variabilities occur in the northern and northeastern South American regions. The results presented in this paper might be useful for monitoring activities. © 2017, Sociedade Brasileira de Meteorologia. All rights reserved