Higher socioeconomic status is related to healthier levels of fatness and fitness already at 3 to 5 years of age: The PREFIT project: Relation between socioeconomic status, fatness and fitness in preschoolers. Issue 12 (18th June 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Merino-De Haro, Ignacio; Mora-Gonzalez, Jose; Cadenas-Sanchez, Cristina; Borras, Pere A.; Benito, Pedro J.; Chiva-Bartoll, Oscar; Torrijos-Niño, Coral; Samaniego-Sánchez, Cristina; Quesada-Granados, José Javier; Sánchez-Delgado, Alejandro; Dorado-García, Cecilia; García-Martínez, José M.; Vicente-Rodríguez, Germán; Labayen, Idoia; Ortega, Francisco B.
• Is Part Of: Journal of sports sciences. Volume 37:Issue 12(2019)
• Page Start: 1327
• Page End: 1337
• Publication Date: 2019-06-18
• Subjects: Body composition -- physical fitness -- preschoolers -- socioeconomic factors; Sports -- Periodicals; Sports -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Sports -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; 612.044
• DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2018.1558509
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0264-0414

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to analyse the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and fatness and fitness in preschoolers. 2, 638 preschoolers (3–5 years old; 47.2% girls) participated. SES was estimated from the parental educational and occupational levels, and the marital status. Fatness was assessed by body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). Physical fitness components were assessed using the PREFIT battery. Preschoolers whose parents had higher educational levels had lower fatness ( P < 0.05). BMI significantly differed across occupational levels of each parent ( P < 0.05) and WHtR across paternal levels ( P = 0.004). Musculoskeletal fitness was different across any SES factor ( P < 0.05), except handgrip across paternal occupational levels (P ≥ 0.05). Preschoolers with high paternal occupation had higher speed/agility ( P = 0.005), and those with high or low maternal education had higher VO2 max ( P = 0.046). Odds of being obese and having low musculoskeletal fitness was lower as SES was higher ( P < 0.05). Those with married parents had higher cardiorespiratory fitness than single-parent ones ( P = 0.010). School-based interventions should be aware of that children with low SES are at a higher risk of obesity and low fitness already in the first years of life.