ECSS Paris 2023: CP-MH12
INTRODUCTION: Physical activity (PA), sedentary behaviours (SB), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) are key determinants of cardiovascular health in adolescents. Whilst studies have associated these modifiable lifestyle factors with peripheral blood pressure, estimates of central blood pressure, augmentation index (AIx), and subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR) provide additional insight into the vascular health. Adolescence represents a critical developmental stage for the establishment of lifelong health behaviours, and the inclusion of central measures may help improve understanding of how modifiable lifestyle factors relate to cardiovascular health. As such we examined the relationships between estimates of peripheral and central blood pressure, PA, sedentary behaviour, and CRF in adolescents. METHODS: Thirty-one school-going adolescents (7 males, 24 females; 11–16 years) with no known medical conditions completed assessments of CRF, strength and cardiovascular health. PA and sedentary behaviour were measured using activPAL accelerometers worn continuously for six days, capturing stepping metrics, PA intensity (light, moderate, vigorous), total sedentary time, and sedentary bout duration. Cardiorespiratory fitness was estimated using the validated 3-minute Kasch Pulse Recovery Step Test [1]. Cardiovascular health was assessed using pulse wave analyses (PWA) (SphygmoCor Xcel), providing measures of peripheral and central blood pressure, AIx, AIx normalised to 75 bpm (AIx@75), SEVR, and resting heart rate. RESULTS: Following adjustment for BMI, Age and Tanner Scale, higher PA levels were associated with lower: central blood pressure (β = −1.38), lAIx (β = −1.16), heart rate (β = −2.93), and higher SEVR (all p < 0.05). Further, increased sedentary behaviours were associated with higher peripheral systolic blood pressure (β = 1.02, p = 0.022), higher resting heart rate (β = 3.26, p = 0.003), and lower (worse) SEVR (β = −5.73, p = 0.025). CONCLUSION: Higher PA and SB are independently associated with more favourable central and peripheral markers of vascular health in adolescents. These findings demonstrate the value of incorporating central measures, which remain under-explored in adolescents, to enhance understanding of how movement behaviours relate to cardiovascular health beyond traditional peripheral blood pressure assessments. [1] Gupta P et al. (2023)
Read CV Kirsten WingECSS Paris 2023: CP-MH12
INTRODUCTION: The vertical jump test is a valid and reliable field-based method to assess lower-body muscular strength and physical fitness in youth (1). However, although age- and sex-related differences in muscular fitness are well documented generally, there is a lack of contemporary, updated normative reference values for Spanish children and adolescents using validated measurement techniques. This study aimed to establish normative reference values for the vertical jump in Spanish children and adolescents and to examine age- and sex-related variation in this indicator of lower-body muscular strength. 1. Fernandez-Santos, JR, Ruiz, JR, Cohen, DD, Gonzalez-Montesinos, JL, & Castro-Piñero, J. J Strength Cond Res 2015; 2277-2285. METHODS: A total of 3,525 children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years involved in different extracurricular sports participated in this study. A countermovement jump test with free arm swing was conducted to establish percentile values for vertical jump performance, using Optojump photoelectric cells. Centile curves were developed using Generalized Additive Models for Location, Scale, and Shape (GAMLSS) in R (v4.3.1). Three continuous distributions were fitted to the data: Box-Cox Cole and Green (BCCG), Box-Cox Power Exponential (BCPE), and Box-Cox t (BCT). RESULTS: The results present updated normative reference values, stratified by age and sex. Vertical jump performance increased progressively with age in both sexes. In boys, the 50th percentile (P50) rose from 16.5 cm at age 6 to 39.8 cm at age 17 (a 23.3 cm increase). In girls, P50 increased from 16.3 cm to 26.5 cm (a 10.2 cm increase), with a plateau effect starting after age 13. While performance was similar in early childhood, a significant sex gap emerged during adolescence; by age 15, boys achieved 34.3 cm (P50) compared to 25.7 cm in girls. At age 17, the highest performance (P99) reached 56.9 cm in boys versus 38.7 cm in girls, highlighting a widening performance gap as they mature. CONCLUSION: This study provides updated normative reference values for the vertical jump in Spanish children and adolescents, addressing the lack of contemporary data. The findings confirm clear age- and sex-related differences in performance, with boys achieving progressively greater jump heights than girls, particularly from the onset of puberty. These reference values represent a practical tool to monitor physical fitness, identify youth with low muscular strength, and support physical activity programs in educational and health settings.
Read CV Laura Moreno-GonzalezECSS Paris 2023: CP-MH12
INTRODUCTION: Early screen exposure represents a pervasive behavioral risk factor for child development and long-term health, with longitudinal evidence linking excessive televiewing in early childhood to adverse biological, psychological, and social outcomes. Although organized sport participation during middle childhood has been associated with positive developmental trajectories, little is known about its capacity to mitigate long-term risks related to early sedentary screen exposure. This study examined whether consistent extracurricular sport participation moderates associations between television viewing at age 2 years and bio-psycho-social outcomes at age 12 years, accounting for sex-specific differences. METHODS: Data were drawn from a population-based longitudinal birth cohort of 1,850 children followed from infancy to early adolescence. Parent-reported televiewing was assessed at age 2 years. Organized sport participation between ages 6 and 10 years was classified as consistent versus low-inconsistent involvement. Outcomes at age 12 years included objectively measured body mass index (BMI), teacher-reported classroom engagement, and peer victimization. Sex-stratified regression models tested main and interaction effects between early televiewing and sport participation, adjusting for early child characteristics (temperament, neurocognitive skills, baseline BMI, early engagement, early victimization) and family-level covariates (maternal education, income-to-needs ratio, maternal BMI, depressive symptoms, family functioning, family configuration). Missing data were handled using full information maximum likelihood. RESULTS: Higher televiewing at age 2 years predicted higher BMI and lower classroom engagement at age 12 years. Consistent sport participation was associated with lower BMI and higher classroom engagement, particularly among girls. Moderation effects differed by sex. Among girls, consistent sport participation attenuated associations between early televiewing and lower classroom engagement; girls with low televiewing and consistent sport participation showed the highest engagement. Among boys, a significant interaction emerged for peer victimization: consistent sport participation reduced victimization only at lower levels of early televiewing, whereas high televiewing combined with consistent sport participation was associated with greater victimization risk. CONCLUSION: Early televiewing represents a meaningful predictor of bio-psycho-social adjustment in early adolescence. Consistent extracurricular sport participation functioned as a conditional protective factor, particularly for classroom engagement among girls. However, sport did not operate as a universal buffer; its effects varied by sex and exposure level. From a preventive health perspective, strategies promoting reduced early screen exposure alongside sustained access to organized sport may enhance developmental resilience and long-term well-being in increasingly digital childhood environments.
Read CV Matteo PriviteraECSS Paris 2023: CP-MH12