Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2009 , Vol 55 , Num 2

Body Composition and Relation with Physical Activities in Children: A Pilot Study

1 ,Cemil Sert 2
1
2 Harran Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Biyofizik Anabilim Dalı, Şanlıurfa

Objective: In recent years, childhood obesity becomes a major public health problem especially in developed countries. Body Mass Index (BMI) and body composition are useful methods for defining childhood obesity. The aim of this study was to determine the relation between body composition and risk factors predisposing to overweight in children. 
 

Materials and Methods: A total of 81 (47 male, 34 female) healthy children with mean age of 12.0±0.8 years were included in the study. Body composition was determined by Bioimpedance Analysis method (BIA). Daily physical activities such as average sleep (hour/day), television viewing time (hour/day), daily achieved average numbers of stair steps, and sportive activities were recorded, and the time period (minute) for running 72 meters was measured. 
 

Results: BMI was positively correlated with television viewing time and negatively correlated with sleep time (p=0.03, r=0.330; p=0.01, r=-0.420, respectively). Further, total fat mass was negatively and basal metabolic rate was positively correlated with sportive activities (p=0.03, r=-0.270; p=0.01, r=0.442, respectively). 
 

Conclusion: Our findings indicated that daily physical activities and life style may affect the body composition and overweight in childhood. Obesity and increased fat mass in childhood probably will be maintained in the future; therefore children should be kept away from sedentary life style and should be encouraged for sportive activities.

Keywords : Bioimpedance analysis, obesity, body mass index