A descriptive ranking of blood pressure and physical fitness of Latin-American ethnic schoolchildren.

BACKGROUND: There is a general lack of information about how insufficient physical activity impacts blood pressure and physical fitness in Latin-American ethnic minorities. AIMS: To describe the interactions between insufficient physical activity, blood pressure, and physical fitness outcomes in Latin-American schoolchildren of different ethnicity. METHODS: This was a prospective, international, multi-center, and cross-sectional study of three Latin-American countries involving schoolchildren from seven ethnic groups of Colombia (Tikuna, Nasa, Embera), Brazil (African, Mulato), and Chile (Mapuche), and also European schoolchildren from Brazil and Chile. Data were categorized based on whether participants were physically active (PA) or insufficient physical activity (iPA) using the WHO physical activity recommendations. The main outcomes were systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP), and mean arterial (MAP) blood pressure, and scores for physical and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF, by estimated V˙O2max), handgrip muscle strength (HGS), and standing long jump (SLJ). Secondary outcomes were anthropometric measures (weight, height, body mass index [BMI], waist circumference [WC], waist-to-height ratio), and body fat percentage (BF%, limited data by country). Primary and secondary outcomes were ranked. RESULTS: For both PA and iPA categories, significant interactions between ethnic groups were found concerning SBP/DBP (F(37.7), ES 0.08; F(51.5), ES 0.08), V˙O2max (F(37.7), ES 0.08; F(51.5), ES 0.08), HGS (F(33.8), ES 0.07; F(5.03), ES 0.04), and SLJ (F(64.3), ES 0.14; F(64.3), 0.14). In the iPA category, Mapuche schoolchildren were classified 1st (119.5; 81.5) with highest SBP/DBP and highest MAP (94.6 mmHg); Embera schoolchildren were classified 1st with lowest V˙O2max (33.7 mL/kg/min); and European schoolchildren were classified 1st (19.9 kg) with lowest HGS and SLJ (121.4 m) physical fitness. CONCLUSIONS: Under conditions of insufficient physical activity conditions, Mapuche schoolchildren had the most detrimental blood pressure, whereas Embera, Tikuna, and European schoolchildren had the lowest levels of physical fitness. These results serve to highlight the need for the early and appropriate promotion of physical activity based on ethnic differences in Latin-American schools.

Associations of cardiorespiratory fitness and obesity parameters with blood pressure: fitness and fatness in youth Latin-American ethnic minority.

Background: In spite of wide international evidence about cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and adiposity in association with cardiovascular disease, there is poor evidence about this relationship in schoolchildren of ethnic minorities.Aim: To examine the relationship between CRF and body composition on blood pressure (BP) in a sample of ethnic minority schoolchildren from three Latin-American countries.Material and methods: A descriptive cross sectional study of total n = 3866, mean age 12.5 (2.7) y [girls n = 1997, mean age 12.8 (2.8) y; boys n = 1869, mean age 12.2 (2.7) y] schoolchildren from three Latin-American countries (Colombia, Brazil, Chile). Main outcomes were CRF, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, body fat percentage (%BF), and BP (systolic SB, diastolic BP, and mean arterial pressure (MAP).Results: In both sex, and after adjusting for covariates (age and ethnicity group), negative CRF by V˙O2peak levels were associated with a higher body fatness parameters (BMI, WC, WHtR and %BF p<0.001), and blood pressure measures (systolic BP, diastolic BP, and MAP; p<0.001). A lower CRF (by V˙O2peak) was associated with a higher BP in girls (systolic SB -0.15; -5.10 (0.30), diastolic BP -0.14; -4.43 (0.23), and MAP -0.15; -4.93 (0.26) at p<0.001), and boys (systolic SB -0.02; -0.85 (0.32), DB -0.07; -2.23 (0.23), and MAP-0.06; -1.89 (0.25 at p<0.001). There was a significant association between a 'high-CRF + low-%BF' with a lower systolic SB diff = - 9.6 [0.7], diastolic BP diff= - 11.0 [0.6]; and MAP level diff = - 10.6 [0.6] all p<0.001). There was a significant association between a 'high-CRF + low-BMI' with a lower systolic diff = - 10.3 [1.1], diastolic diff = - 11.2 [1.1], and MAP diff = - 10.9 [1.0] all p<0.001.Conclusion: A lower CRF is associated with a higher body fatness parameters, and higher BP levels in Latin-American ethnic schoolchildren.Abbreviators: %BF: Percentage of Body fat; BIA: Bioelectric impedance analysis; BMI: Body mass index; BP: Blood pressure; CRF: Cardiorespiratory fitness; CVD: Cardiovascular disease; LDL-cholesterol: SD: Standard deviation; WC: Waist circumference; WHtR: Waist-height to ratio; V˙O2max: Maximal oxygen consumption; V˙O2peak: Peak of oxygen consumption.

A cross-sectional study of Colombian University students' self-perceived lifestyle.

BACKGROUND: The Fantastic Lifestyle Questionnaire was designed for enabling staff working in health sciences and physical activity (PA) areas to measure lifestyles (LS) in the general population. The aim of this study was to assess the lifestyle in a sample of university students. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive, observational study involving 5,921 subjects' aged 18- to 30-years-old (3,471 females) from three Colombian cities. Was applied "Fantastic" instrument (that consists of 25 closed items on the lifestyle), translated to Spanish in versions of three and five answers. RESULTS: Having a "good LS" was perceived by 57.4% of the females and 58.5% of the males; 14.0% of the females rating their LS as being "excellent" and males 19.3% (p < 0.001); 20.3% of the females and 36.6% of the males stated that they spent more than 20 min/day on PA (involving four or more times per week). Negative correlations between FANTASTIC score and weight (r = -0.113; p < 0.01), body mass index (BMI) (r = -0.152; p < 0.01) and waist circumference (r = -0.178, p < 0.01) were observed regarding females, whilst the correlation concerning males was (r = -0.143, p < 0.05) between Fantastic score and weight, (r = -0.167 for BMI, p < 0.01) and (r = -0.175, p < 0.01 for diastolic blood pressure). In spite of the students being evaluated referring to themselves as having a healthy LS (i.e. giving a self-perceived view of their LS), stated behaviour involving a health risk was observed in the domains concerning nutrition, PA and smoking. CONCLUSION: Specific diffusion, education and intervention action is thus suggested for motivating the adoption of healthy LS.