Cadenas-Sanchez C, Nyström C, Sanchez-Delgado G, Martinez-Tellez B, Mora-Gonzalez J, Risinger A S, Ruiz J R, Ortega F B, Löf M
PROFITH 'PROmoting FITness and Health through physical activity' Research Group, Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Pediatr Obes. 2016 Oct;11(5):403-10. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12079. Epub 2015 Nov 9.
North-south differences in the prevalence of obesity and fitness levels have been found in European adolescents, yet it is unknown if such differences already exist in very young children.
This study aims to compare the prevalence of overweight/obesity and fitness levels in preschool children aged 4 years from Sweden (north of Europe) and Spain (south of Europe).
The sample consisted of 315 Swedish and 128 Spanish preschoolers. Anthropometry (weight, height, waist circumference) and fitness (strength, speed-agility, balance and cardiorespiratory fitness) were assessed. Analysis of covariance adjusted for age, sex and height/body mass index (BMI) was used.
Preschool children from Sweden had lower prevalence of overweight/obesity than their peers from Spain (World Obesity Federation, mean difference, MD = -9%, P = 0.010; World Health Organization, MD = -11%, P = 0.011). Concerning fitness, preschoolers from Spain were more fit in terms of upper-muscular strength (MD = +0.4 kg, P = 0.010), speed-agility (MD = -1.9 s, P = 0.001), balance (MD = +4.0 s, P = 0.001) and cardiorespiratory fitness (MD = boys = +6.6 laps, girls = +2.3 laps; P < 0.001 for all), yet they had worse lower-muscular strength (MD = -7.1, P ≤ 0.001) than those from Sweden. Differences in upper-muscular strength were largely explained by differences in BMI, and differences in cardiorespiratory fitness should be interpreted cautiously due to some methodological deviations.
These findings suggest that a higher prevalence of overweight/obesity in Spain compared with Sweden is present already at early childhood, while differences in physical fitness components showed mixed findings.
欧洲青少年中已发现肥胖患病率和健康水平存在南北差异，但对于幼儿是否也存在此类差异尚不清楚。
本研究旨在比较来自瑞典（欧洲北部）和西班牙（欧洲南部）的4岁学龄前儿童的超重/肥胖患病率和健康水平。
样本包括315名瑞典学龄前儿童和128名西班牙学龄前儿童。评估了人体测量指标（体重、身高、腰围）和健康指标（力量、速度敏捷性、平衡能力和心肺适能）。采用协方差分析，并对年龄、性别和身高/体重指数（BMI）进行了校正。
瑞典学龄前儿童的超重/肥胖患病率低于西班牙同龄人（世界肥胖联合会，平均差异，MD = -9%，P = 0.010；世界卫生组织，MD = -11%，P = 0.011）。在健康方面，西班牙学龄前儿童在上肢肌肉力量（MD = +0.4 kg，P = 0.010）、速度敏捷性（MD = -1.9 s，P = 0.001）、平衡能力（MD = +4.0 s，P = 0.001）和心肺适能（MD = 男孩 = +6.6圈，女孩 = +2.3圈；所有P < 0.001）方面更健康，但他们的下肢肌肉力量比瑞典儿童差（MD = -7.1，P≤0.001）。上肢肌肉力量的差异在很大程度上由BMI差异解释，由于一些方法学上的偏差，心肺适能的差异应谨慎解释。
这些发现表明，与瑞典相比，西班牙超重/肥胖患病率在幼儿期就较高，而身体素质各组成部分的差异则呈现出混合结果。
