Child’s body mass index and mother’s obesity: the moderating role of physical fitness

• Autor(a) principal: Brand, Caroline
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Outros Autores: Fochesatto, Camila Felin, Dias, Arieli Fernandes, Gaya, Anelise Reis, Martins, Clarice Maria de Lucena, Renner, Jane Dagmar Pollo, Reuter, Cézane Priscila, Kelishadi, Roya
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UFRGS
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10183/229517
• topic: Índice de massa corporal; Aptidão cardiorrespiratória; Aptidão física; Adolescentes; Crianças; Obesidade materna; Body mass index; Mother’s obesity; Cardiorespiratory fitness; Muscular fitness; Children; Adolescents

The aim of this study was to verify the association between children’s body mass index and their mother’s obesity, considering children’s physical fitness as a possible moderator. Cross-sectional study developed with 1842 children and adolescents, aged seven to 17 years, from Santa Cruz do Sul-RS, Brazil. Body weight and height were assessed to determine body mass index. Cardiorespiratory fitness was determined by the 6-min walk/run test and muscular strength through the lower limb strength test. Mother’s perception of obesity was self-assessed. Moderation was tested through a SPSS program extension. Results indicated that higher children’s body mass index (p < 0.001) and lower levels of cardiorespiratory fitness (p = 0.001) and muscular strength (p = 0.035) were associated with mother’s obesity. Likewise, higher body mass index (p < 0.001) and lower cardiorespiratory fitness (p < 0.001) in adolescents were associated with maternal obesity. Moreover, physical fitness moderates the relationship between body mass index and mother’s obesity in children (cardiorespiratory fitness: β = − 0.006; 95% CI = (− 0.010, − 0.001); muscular strength: β = − 8.415; 95% CI = (− 12.526, − 4.304)) and in adolescents (cardiorespiratory fitness: β = − 0.004; 95% CI = (− 0.008, − 0.0008); muscular strength: β − 2.958; 95% CI = (− 5.615, − 0.030)). Conclusion: increasing physical fitness is an important strategy to protect youths from high body mass index, when their mothers are obese.