Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-m8qmq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-18T22:10:59.887Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Body composition and physical activity in New Zealand Maori, Pacific and European children aged 5–14 years

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Elaine C. Rush ,
Lindsay D. Plank ,
Peter S. W. Davies ,
Patsy Watson  and
Clare R. Wall
Elaine C. Rush*
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Science, Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag, 92006, Auckland 1020, New Zealand
Lindsay D. Plank
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Peter S. W. Davies
Affiliation:
Children's Nutrition Research Centre, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Royal Children's Hospital, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Patsy Watson
Affiliation:
Institute for Food, Nutrition and Human Health, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
Clare R. Wall
Affiliation:
Institute for Food, Nutrition and Human Health, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
*
*Corresponding author: Dr Elaine C. Rush, fax +64 9 917 9973, email elaine.rush@aut.ac.nz
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Body fatness and the components of energy expenditure in children aged 5–14 years were investigated. In a group of seventy-nine healthy children (thirty-nine female, forty male), mean age 10·0 (sd 2·8) years, comprising twenty-seven Maori, twenty-six Pacific Island and twenty-six European, total energy expenditure (TEE) was determined over 10 d using the doubly-labelled water method. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) was measured by indirect calorimetry and physical activity level (PAL) was calculated as TEE:RMR. Fat-free mass (FFM), and hence fat mass, was derived from the 18O-dilution space using appropriate values for FFM hydration in children. Qualitative information on physical activity patterns was obtained by questionnaire. Maori and Pacific children had a higher BMI than European children (P<0·003), but % body fat was similar for the three ethnic groups. The % body fat increased with age for girls (r 0·42, P=0·008), but not for boys. Ethnicity was not a significant predictor of RMR adjusted for FFM and fat mass. TEE and PAL, adjusted for body weight and age, were higher in Maori than European children (P<0·02), with Pacific children having intermediate values. PAL was inversely correlated with % body fat in boys (r −0·43, P=0·006), but was not significantly associated in girls. The % body fat was not correlated with reported time spent inactive or outdoors. Ethnic-related differences in total and activity-related energy expenditure that might account for higher obesity rates in Maori and Pacific children were not seen. Low levels of physical activity were associated with increased body fat in boys but not in girls.

Keywords

Body compositionDoubly-labelled waterEnergy expenditureResting metabolic rateEthnic differencesGenderPhysical activityActivity questionnaireChildren
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 90 , Issue 6 , December 2003 , pp. 1133 - 1139
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2003

References

Ball, EJ, O'Connor, JO, Abbott, R, et al. (2001) Total energy expenditure, body fatness and physical activity in children aged 6–9y. Am J Clin Nutr 74, 524–528.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bathgate, M, Alexander, D, Mitikulena, A, Borman, B, Roberts, A & Grigg, M (1994) The health of Pacific islands people in New Zealand. Wellington: Pacific Health Commission.Google Scholar
Bell, AC, Swinburn, BA, Stewart, A, Jackson, R, Tukuitonga, C & Tipene-Leach, D (1996) Ethnic differences and recent trends in coronary heart disease incidence in New Zealand. NZ Med J 109, 66–68.Google ScholarPubMed
Black, AE (1996) Physical activity levels from a meta-analysis of doubly labeled water studies for validating energy intake as measured by dietary assessment. Nut Rev 54, 170–174.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Black, AE, Coward, WA, Cole, TJ & Prentice, AM (1996) Human energy expenditure in affluent societies: an analysis of 574 doubly-labelled water measurements. Eur J Clin Nutr 50, 72–92.Google ScholarPubMed
Crespo, CJ, Smit, E, Troiano, RP, Bartlett, SJ, Macera, CA & Andersen, RE (2001) Television watching energy intake and obesity in US children. Results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1988–1994. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 155, 360–365.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davies, PSW & Coward, WA (1994) Total energy expenditure and energy intake in the pre-school child: a comparison. Br J Nutr 72, 13–20.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davies, PSW, Gregory, J & White, A (1995) Physical activity and body fatness in pre-school children. Int J Obesity 19, 6–10.Google ScholarPubMed
Ellis, KJ (1996) Measuring body fatness in children and young adults: comparison of bioelectric impedance analysis, total body electrical conductivity and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Int J Obes 20, 866–1873.Google Scholar
Fomon, SJ, Haschke, F, Ziegler, EE & Nelson, SE (1982) Body composition of reference children from birth to age 10 years. Am J Clin Nutr 35, 1169–1175.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Freedman, DS, Srinivasan, SR, Valdez, RA, Williamson, DF & Berenson, GS (1997) Secular increases in relative weight and adiposity among children over two decades: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Pediatrics 99, 420–426.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Going, SB, Levin, S & Harrell, J (1999) Physical activity assessment in American Indian schoolchildren in the Pathways study. Am J Clin Nutr 69, Suppl., 788S–795S.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goran, MI, Hunter, G, Nagy, TR & Johnson, R (1997) Physical activity related energy expenditure and fat mass in young children. Int J Obes 21, 171–178.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goran, MI & Nagy, TR (1996) Effect of the pre-testing environment on measurement of metabolic rate in children. Int J Obes 20, 83–87.Google ScholarPubMed
Huszczuk, A, Whipp, BJ & Wasserman, K (1990) A respiratory gas exchange simulator for routine calibration in metabolic studies. Eur Respir J 3, 465–468.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Janz, KF, Witt, J & Mahoney, LT (1995) The stability of children's physical activity as measured by accelerometry and self report. Med Sci Sports Exerc 27, 1326–1332.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kriska, AM, Knowler, WC & LaPorte, RE (1990) Development of questionnaire to examine relationship of physical activity and diabetes in Pima Indians. Diabetes Care 13, 401–411.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lohman, TG (1986) Applicability of body composition techniques and constants for children and youths. Exerc Sports Sci Rev 14, 325–357.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ministry of Health (2002) Healthy Action – Healthy Eating: Oranga Puamu – Oranga Kai: Towards an Integrated Approach to Physical Activity Nutrition and Healthy Weight for New Zealand, p 73. Wellington: Ministry of Health.Google Scholar
Parnell, W, Scragg, R, Wilson, N, Schaaf, D & Fitzgerald, E (2003) NZ Food: NZ Children – A Report on the Nutritional and Health Status of New Zealand Children. Wellington: Ministry of Health.Google Scholar
Pate, RR, Baranowski, T, Dowda, M & Trost, SG (1996) Tracking of physical activity in young children. Med Sci Sports Exerc 28, 92–96.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Power, C, Lake, JK & Cole, TJ (1997) Measurement and long-term health risks of child and adolescent fatness. Int J Obes 21, 507–526.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rush, EC, Plank, LD & Coward, WA (1999) Energy expenditure of young Polynesian and European women in New Zealand and relations to body composition. Am J Clin Nutr 69, 43–48.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rush, EC, Plank, LD & Robinson, S (1997) Resting metabolic rate in young Polynesian and Caucasian women. Int J Obes 21, 1071–1075.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rush, EC, Puniani, K, Valencia, ME, Davies, PSW & Plank, LD (2003) Estimation of body fatness from body mass index and bioelectrical impedance: comparison of New Zealand European, Maori and Pacific Island children. Eur J Clin Nutr (In the Press).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schoeller, DA & Jefford, G (2002) Determinants of the energy costs of light activities: inferences for interpreting doubly labeled water data. Int J Obes 26, 97–101.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schutz, Y, Weinsier, RL & Hunter, GR (2000) Assessment of free-living physical activity in humans: an overview of currently available and proposed new measures. Obes Res 9, 368–379.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simmons, D, Gatland, B, Fleming, C, Leakehe, L & Scragg, R (1994) Prevalence of known diabetes in a multiethnic community. NZ Med J 107, 219–222.Google Scholar
Trioano, RP, Flegel, KM, Kuczmarski, RJ, Campbell, SM & Johnson, CL (1995) Overweight prevalence and trends for children and adolescents. The National Health and Nutrition Surveys. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 149, 1085–1091.Google Scholar
Tyrrell, V, Richards, G, Hofman, P, Gillies, G, Robinson, E & Cutfield, W (2001) Obesity in Auckland school children: a comparison of the body mass index and percentage fat as the diagnostic criterion. Int J Obes 25, 164–169.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Westerterp, K & Goran, M (1997) Relationship between physical activity related energy expenditure and body composition: a gender difference. Int J Obes 21, 184–188.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, S (2001) Overweight at age 21: the association with body mass index in childhood and adolescence and parents’ body mass index. A cohort study of New Zealanders born in 1972–1973. Int J Obes 25, 158–163.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
World Health Organization (1998) Obesity: Preventing and Managing the Global Epidemic. Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar
Yanovski, J (2001) Resting energy expenditure in African American and white children. Am J Clin Nutr 73, 149–150.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed