Healthy behaviours and abdominal adiposity in adolescents from southern Italy.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of meeting health recommendations on diet and physical activity (having breakfast, eating fruit and vegetables, consumption of milk/yoghurt, performing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, limiting television watching) and to assess junk snack food consumption in adolescents from southern Italy. The association between healthy behaviours and abdominal adiposity was also examined. DESIGN: In a cross-sectional protocol, anthropometric data were measured by trained operators while other data were collected through a structured interview. SETTING: Three high schools in Naples, Italy. SUBJECTS: A sample of 478 students, aged 14-17 years, was studied. RESULTS: The proportion of adolescents who met each of the health recommendations varied: 55·4% had breakfast on ≥6 d/week; 2·9% ate ≥5 servings of fruit and vegetables/d; 1·9% had ≥3 servings of milk/yoghurt daily; 13·6% performed moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for ≥60 min/d; and 46·3% watched television for <2 h/d. More than 65% of adolescents consumed ≥1 serving of junk snack foods/d. Only 5% fulfilled at least three recommendations. Healthy habits tended to correlate with each other. As the number of health recommendations met decreased, the percentage of adolescents with high abdominal adiposity (waist-to-height ratio ≥0·5) increased. The trend was not significant when the proportion of overweight/obese adolescents was considered. Logistic regression analysis indicated that male gender and watching television for ≥2 h/d were independently associated with a higher waist-to-height ratio. CONCLUSIONS: Most adolescents failed to meet the five health recommendations considered. Male gender and excessive television watching were associated with abdominal adiposity.

Cardiopulmonary assessment in primary ciliary dyskinesia.

BACKGROUND: Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare, usually autosomal recessive disorder of ciliary dysfunction associated with lung involvement, which has a great impact on health. There is limited information concerning the aerobic fitness of children and adolescents with PCD. The aim of this study was to assess cardiopulmonary functional capacity and its relationship with pulmonary function and physical activity (PA) levels in patients with PCD. DESIGN: Ten patients with PCD (age 13·2 ± 2·8 years) underwent spirometry and cardiopulmonary exercise testing. PA was investigated through a questionnaire. Eight age- and body mass index-matched healthy children were enrolled as controls. Main variables were forced expiratory volume at 1 s, peak oxygen uptake (VO(2peak) ) and time spent in PA. RESULTS: Forty per cent of patients with PCD had impaired lung function as expressed by FEV(1) < 85% predicted. Only patients with impaired lung function exhibited reduced VO(2peak) (18·1 ± 7·9 mL/kg/min). Time spent in total daily PA was slightly lower in patients than controls, with no difference between patients with normal or reduced lung function. In multiple regression models, male gender (ß = 0·518, P = 0·018), age (ß = 0·752, P = 0·035) and time spent in vigorous PA (ß = 0·353, P = 0·049) were independent predictors of aerobic fitness. CONCLUSIONS: Assessment of resting pulmonary function and cardiopulmonary functional capacity could contribute to the evaluation of pulmonary impairment in PCD. Given the benefit of physical exercise on airway clearance and on general health and quality of life, patients with PCD should be encouraged to adopt an active lifestyle.