Department of Human Movement Science, Faculty of Science and Agriculture, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa 3886, South Africa.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Oct 10;21(10):1340. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21101340.
Maintaining a high level of physical activity provides significant health benefits for children, particularly in enhancing cardiorespiratory fitness and maintaining a healthy weight. This study aimed to investigate the impact of weight status on children's hemodynamic parameters and aerobic fitness levels. This cross-sectional study included 350 rural primary school children (146 boys and 204 girls) aged 11-13 years, randomly selected from two schools in the King Cetshwayo District, KwaDlangezwa area of KwaZulu-Natal. The anthropometric measurements recorded included height, weight, waist circumference, and hip circumference, with percentiles calculated using Cole's Lambda, Mu, and Sigma method. Additionally, skinfold measurements were obtained at four sites (biceps, triceps, subscapular, and suprailiac). Hemodynamic measurements included systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate. Aerobic fitness was assessed using the 20 m shuttle run test, which evaluated speed, level, and age. The healthy group demonstrated significantly lower ratios in several measurements compared to those of the overweight group, i.e., the VOmax was 6% higher (<0.001), the waist-to-hip ratio was 6% lower (<0.001), the body fat percentage was 16% lower (<0.001), the waist circumference was 12% lower (<0.001), and the resting heart rate was 3% lower ( ≤ 0.055). Differences in systolic and diastolic blood pressure were also observed, with the systolic pressure 2% lower ( ≤ 0.116) and the diastolic pressure 3% lower ( ≤ 0.086) in the healthy group. The study revealed a significant association between body weight status, aerobic fitness, and blood pressure parameters. Conducted in rural primary schools in KwaDlangezwa, KwaZulu-Natal, the research highlights notable correlations among weight status, aerobic competence, and blood pressure (BP) in children aged 11 to 13 years. The findings indicate that children with a healthy body weight showed higher VOmax levels and a reduced risk of developing childhood obesity and hypertension, unlike their overweight or obese peers, who displayed lower aerobic fitness and higher blood pressure.
保持高水平的身体活动对儿童的健康有显著益处，特别是在增强心肺健康和维持健康体重方面。本研究旨在探讨体重状况对儿童血液动力学参数和有氧适能水平的影响。这项横断面研究包括来自夸祖鲁-纳塔尔省夸德兰兹瓦地区克瓦祖鲁-纳塔尔国王采特舒瓦约区两所学校的 350 名 11-13 岁的农村小学生（146 名男孩和 204 名女孩）。记录的人体测量学测量包括身高、体重、腰围和臀围，使用科尔的 Lambda、Mu 和 Sigma 方法计算百分位数。此外，还在四个部位（肱二头肌、肱三头肌、肩胛下和髂嵴上）进行皮褶测量。血液动力学测量包括收缩压、舒张压和心率。有氧适能通过 20 米穿梭跑测试进行评估，该测试评估速度、水平和年龄。健康组在几个测量指标中的比值明显低于超重组，即最大摄氧量（VOmax）高 6%（<0.001），腰臀比低 6%（<0.001），体脂百分比低 16%（<0.001），腰围低 12%（<0.001），静息心率低 3%（≤0.055）。收缩压和舒张压也存在差异，健康组的收缩压低 2%（≤0.116），舒张压低 3%（≤0.086）。该研究表明，体重状况、有氧适能和血压参数之间存在显著关联。该研究在夸祖鲁-纳塔尔省夸德兰兹瓦的农村小学进行，强调了 11 至 13 岁儿童体重状况、有氧能力和血压之间的显著相关性。研究结果表明，与超重或肥胖的同龄人相比，体重健康的儿童表现出更高的 VOmax 水平，患儿童肥胖症和高血压的风险降低，而超重或肥胖的儿童则表现出较低的有氧适能和较高的血压。
