Do movement behaviours influence the association between early menarche and depression symptoms among Brazilian adolescents?

Early menarche has been associated with adverse health outcomes, such as depressive symptoms. Discovering effect modifiers across these conditions in the pediatric population is a constant challenge. We tested whether movement behaviours modified the effect of the association between early menarche and depression symptoms among adolescents. This cross-sectional study included 2031 females aged 15-19 years across all Brazilian geographic regions. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire; 30.5% (n = 620) reported having experienced menarche before age 12 years (i.e., early menarche). We used the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to evaluate depressive symptoms. Accruing any moderate-vigorous physical activity during leisure time, limited recreational screen time, and having good sleep quality were the exposures investigated. Adolescents who experienced early menarche and met one (B: -4.45, 95% CI: (-5.38, -3.51)), two (B: -6.07 (-7.02, -5.12)), or three (B: -6.49 (-7.76, -5.21)), and adolescents who experienced not early menarche and met one (B: -5.33 (-6.20; -4.46)), two (B: -6.12 (-6.99; -5.24)), or three (B: -6.27 (-7.30; -5.24)) of the movement behaviour targets had lower PHQ-9 scores for depression symptoms than adolescents who experienced early menarche and did not meet any of the movement behaviours. The disparities in depressive symptoms among the adolescents (early menarche vs. not early menarche) who adhered to all three target behaviours were not statistically significant (B: 0.41 (-0.19; 1.01)). Adherence to movement behaviours modified the effect of the association between early menarche and depression symptoms.

Health-Related Physical Fitness Evaluation in HIV-Diagnosed Children and Adolescents: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Health-related physical fitness has been widely used to investigate the adverse effects of HIV infection/ART in children and adolescents. However, methods/protocols and cut-points applied for investigating health-related physical fitness are not clear. The aim of this scoping review was to map the literature to identify gaps in knowledge regarding the methods/protocols and cut-points. METHODS: A scoping review, following the Joana Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines, was conducted through ten major databases. Search followed the PCC strategy to construct block of terms related to population (children and adolescents), concept (health-related physical fitness components) and context (HIV infection). RESULTS: The search resulted in 7545 studies. After duplicate removal, titles and abstracts reading and full text assessment, 246 studies were included in the scoping review. Body composition was the most investigated component (n = 244), followed by muscular strength/endurance (n = 23), cardiorespiratory fitness (n = 15) and flexibility (n = 4). The World Health Organization growth curves, and nationals' surveys were the most reference values applied to classify body composition (n = 149), followed by internal cut-points (n = 30) and cut-points developed through small populations (n = 16). Cardiorespiratory fitness was classified through cut-points from three different assessment batteries, as well as cut-points developed through studies with small populations, muscular strength/endurance and flexibility were classified through the same cut-points from five different assessment batteries. CONCLUSIONS: The research on muscular strength/endurance, cardiorespiratory fitness and flexibility has been scarcely explored. The lack of studies that investigated method usability as well as reference values was evidenced.

Utilization of bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) in children and adolescents without diagnosed diseases: a systematic review.

Introduction. Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) emerges as a technique that utilizes raw parameters of bioelectrical impedance analysis and assumes the use of a reference population for information analysis.Objective. To summarize the reference values, main studies objectives, approaches, pre-test recommendations and technical characteristics of the devices employed in studies utilizing BIVA among children and adolescents without diagnosed diseases.Methods. A systematic search was conducted in nine electronic databases (CINAHL, LILACS, PubMed, SciELO, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, Science Direct, MEDLINE, and Web of Science). Studies with different designs which allowed extracting information regarding reference values of BIVA in children and adolescents without diagnosed diseases, aged 19 years or younger, were included. The systematic review followed PRISMA procedures and was registered in PROSPERO (registration: CRD42023391069).Results. After applying the eligibility criteria, 36 studies were included. Twenty studies (55.6%) analyzed body composition using BIVA, thirteen studies (36.1%) aimed to establish reference values for BIVA, and three studies (8.3%) investigated the association of physical performance with BIVA. There was heterogeneity regarding the reference populations employed by the studies. Fifteen studies used their own sample as a reference (41.6%), four studies used the adult population as a reference (11.1%), and five studies used reference values from athletes (13.9%).Conclusion. Nutricional status and body composition were the main studies objectives. References values were not always adequate or specific for the sample and population. Furthermore, there was no pattern of pre-test recommendations among the studies.

Trends in the prevalence of obesity, overweight, and thinness among schoolchildren aged 7-14 years from southern Brazil (2002-2019).

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the obesity, overweight, and thinness trends among Brazilian schoolchildren by sex, age group, and type of school according to World Health Organization (WHO) and International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) criteria. METHODS: We conducted four surveys between 2002 and 2018/19 involving schoolchildren aged 7-14 years from a state capital in southern Brazil. Weight status was classified using both WHO and IOTF criteria. RESULTS: In the total sample, obesity prevalence based on the IOTF and the WHO criteria were 72% and 44% higher in 2018/19 compared with 2002, respectively. Over the whole period, the obesity prevalence increased among children (WHO: 10.1% vs. 14.1%; IOTF: 5.0% vs. 8.3%), and those from public schools (WHO: 10.5% vs. 16.4%; IOTF: 5.6% vs. 10.1%). There was no significant reduction in thinness prevalence over the analyzed period. CONCLUSION: Obesity prevalence remains on an upward trend in a state capital in southern Brazil, especially among children from public schools. A higher prevalence of overweight and obesity was observed using the WHO criteria compared with IOTF criteria.

Race/Ethnicity Inequities in the Association Between Movement Behaviors and Suicidal Thoughts/Ideation Among Adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to analyze the associations between movement behaviors (physical activity, screen time, and sleep), independently and jointly, and suicidal thoughts/ideation among Brazilian adolescents according to race/ethnicity. METHODS: This cross-sectional study surveyed 4,081 adolescents aged 15-19 years (49.9% females) across all Brazilian geographic regions. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Within the sample, 31.0% (n = 1,264) self-reported as White and 69.0% (n = 2,817) as Black. Adolescents who declared one or more times/week suicidal thoughts/ideation were considered as a risk group. Accruing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during leisure time, reduced recreational screen time, and good sleep quality were the exposures investigated. We evaluated both additive and multiplicative interactions between race/ethnicity and movement behaviors. Binary logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR), marginal means effects, and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). RESULTS: Black adolescents who met 1 (OR: 0.34; [95% CI: 0.22-0.52]), 2 (OR: 0.17 [0.11-0.27]), or 3 (OR: 0.13 [0.07-0.26]), and White adolescents who met 1 (OR: 0.35 [0.21-0.57]), 2 (OR: 0.14 [0.08-0.26]), or 3 (OR: 0.11 [0.04-0.31]) of the movement behavior targets had lower odds of suicidal thoughts/ideation than Black adolescents who did not meet any of the movement behavior targets. Black adolescents who did not meet any of the movement behavior targets had higher suicidal thoughts/ideation odds than the other adolescent's groups. CONCLUSIONS: We identified an inverse association between meeting individuals and combinations of movement behavior targets with suicidal thoughts/ideation. Among Black adolescents who did not meet any targets, these associations were more evident.

Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children: Validity and Cut-Points to Identify Sufficient Levels of Moderate- to Vigorous-Intensity Physical Activity Among Children and Adolescents Diagnosed With HIV.

PURPOSE: To investigate the validity of the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C) to assess the moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) level of children and adolescents diagnosed with HIV and propose cut-points, with accelerometer measures as the reference method. METHOD: Children and adolescents, aged 8-14 years (mean age = 12.21 y, SD = 2.09), diagnosed with HIV by vertical transmission, participated in the study. MVPA was investigated through the PAQ-C and triaxial accelerometer (ActiGraph GT3X+). Receiver operating characteristic curve and sensitivity and specificity values were used to identify a cut-point for PAQ-C to distinguish participants meeting MVPA guidelines. RESULTS: Fifty-six children and adolescents participated in the study. Among those, 16 met MVPA guidelines. The PAQ-C score was significantly related to accelerometry-derived MVPA (ρ = .506, P < .001). The PAQ-C score cut-point of 2.151 (sensitivity = 0.625, specificity = 0.875) was able to discriminate between those who met MVPA guidelines and those that did not (area under the curve = 0.751, 95% confidence interval, 0.616-0.886). CONCLUSION: The PAQ-C was useful to investigate MVPA among children and adolescents diagnosed with HIV and to identify those who meet MVPA guidelines.

Reserve mobilization and secondary metabolites during seed germination and seedling establishment of the tree Erythrina velutina (Fabaceae) / Movilización de reservas y metabolitos secundarios durante la germinación de semillas y el establecimiento de plántulas del árbol Erythrina velutina (Fabaceae)

Introduction: The lack of knowledge on seed germination and seedling establishment is a main constraint for the restoration of degraded areas, including the tropical dry forest known as Caatinga. Objective: To assess reserve and secondary metabolite mobilization during seed germination and seedling establishment in Erythina velutina. Methods: We scarified, disinfected, imbibed, sown between towel paper, and incubated seeds under controlled conditions. We hydroponically cultivated seedlings in a greenhouse. We harvested cotyledons at seed imbibition, radicle protrusion, hypocotyl emergence, apical hook formation and expansion of cordiform leaves, first trifoliate leaf, and second trifoliate leaf. Results: Seeds contained approximately 20 % starch, 14.5 % storage proteins, 11.6 % neutral lipids, and 5.7 % non-reducing sugars on a dry weight basis. Soluble sugars were mainly consumed from hypocotyl emergence to apical hook formation, while major reserves were mobilized from apical hook formation to expansion of first trifoliate leaf. Enzymatic activity increased from mid to late seedling establishment, causing the mobilization of starch, oils, and proteins. Terpenoid-derivatives, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and alkaloids were detected. Flavonoids and phenolic acids were present at almost all stages and terpenoid-derivatives disappeared at expansion of cordiform leaves. Conclusion: Soluble sugars support early seedling growth, while starch, oils and proteins are simultaneously mobilized from mid to late establishment by amylases, lipases, and acid proteases. The cotyledons contain secondary metabolites, which may act in seedling defense. High content of reserves and presence of secondary metabolites in the cotyledons could enable E. velutina seedlings endure stress, validating their use in the restoration of degraded areas.

Introducción: La falta de conocimiento sobre la germinación de semillas y el establecimiento de plántulas es una de las principales limitaciones para la restauración de áreas degradadas, incluido el bosque seco tropical conocido como Caatinga. Objetivo: Evaluar la movilización de reservas y metabolitos secundarios durante estas etapas de desarrollo en Erythina velutina. Métodos: Las semillas fueron escarificadas, desinfectadas, embebidas, sembradas entre toallas de papel e incubadas bajo condiciones controladas. Cultivamos las plántulas hidropónicamente en un invernadero. Recolectamos los cotiledones en la imbibición de la semilla, la protrusión de la radícula, la emergencia del hipocótilo, la formación del gancho apical y la expansión de las hojas cordiformes, la primera y segunda hoja trifoliada. Resultados: Las semillas contenían 20 % de almidón, 14.5 % de proteínas de almacenamiento, 11.6 % de lípidos neutros y 5.7 % de azúcares no reductores en peso seco. Los azúcares solubles se consumieron desde la emergencia del hipocótilo hasta la formación del gancho apical. Las principales reservas se movilizaron desde la formación del gancho apical hasta la expansión de la primera hoja trifoliada. La actividad enzimática aumentó desde la mitad hasta el final del establecimiento de las plántulas, movilizando almidón, aceites y proteínas. Se detectaron derivados de terpenoides, flavonoides, ácidos fenólicos y alcaloides. Los flavonoides y los ácidos fenólicos estuvieron en casi todas las etapas y los derivados terpenoides desaparecieron en la expansión de las hojas cordiformes. Conclusión: Los azúcares solubles apoyan el crecimiento temprano de las plántulas; el almidón, los aceites y las proteínas se movilizan simultáneamente desde el establecimiento medio hasta el final por amilasas, lipasas y proteasas ácidas. Los cotiledones contienen metabolitos secundarios, que pueden actuar en la defensa de las plántulas. El alto contenido de reservas y los metabolitos secundarios en los cotiledones podría permitir que las plántulas de E. velutina toleren estrés, validando su uso en la restauración de áreas degradadas.

"Academia da Saúde" program: mapping evidence from the largest health promotion community program in Brazil.

The aim of this scoping review was to map the literature related to the "Academia da Saúde" Program, including the objective and rationale of the studies, activities carried out in the program's centers, as well as the actors involved in these actions. The search for evidence was conducted in the MEDLINE, LILACS, Web of Science, Scopus, COCHRANE, and SciELO databases. Additional evidence was investigated in the Catalog of Theses and Dissertations of the Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES-Brazil) and in the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations, in addition to manual searches in the references of the studies/documents. Out of 642 initial records, the information synthesis was composed of 74 studies/documents (n = 54; 73.0% scientific articles, n = 48; 64.9% with cross-sectional design, n = 45; 60.8% quantitative analysis). Nutrition (n = 24; 32.2%) and evaluation of the Program (n = 27; 36.5%) were the main themes analyzed. Regarding the participant/object analyzed in each study, users (n = 39; 52.6%) were the main actors investigated. Future studies should consider investigating the effectiveness of the actions developed in the program centers, especially physical activity and healthy eating practices.

Association between Phase Angle and Body Composition of Children and Adolescents Diagnosed with HIV Infection.

The aim of the study was to investigate how phase angle (PhA) is associated with subtotal and lumbar spine bone mineral density [BMD], lean soft tissue mass [LSTM], total body fat mass, android and gynoid in children and adolescents with HIV according to sex. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Florianópolis, Brazil, involving 64 children and adolescents vertically transmitted with HIV. Resistance and reactance values were obtained using bioelectrical impedance analysis, and PhA was subsequently calculated. Dual emission X-ray absorptiometry was used to assess body composition. Antiretroviral medication, physical activity (accelerometers) and skeletal maturation (wrist-carpal radiography) were used in the adjusted model. In males, PhA was directly associated with subtotal BMD (ßadj: 0.65; R²: 0.38, p < 0.01) and lumbar spine BMD (ßadj: 0.53; R²: 0.22, p = 0.01), directly associated with LSTM (ßadj: 0.76; R²: 0.46, p < 0.01), and inversely associated with gynoid fat (ßadj: -0.47; R²: 0.2, p = 0.01), in adjusted models. In females, PhA was directly associated with subtotal BMD (ßadj: 0.46; R²: 0.17, p < 0.01) and lumbar spine BMD (ßadj: 0.48; R²: 0.19, p < 0.01). It is concluded that PhA was directly associated with subtotal and regional BMD, LSTM, and inversely with gynoid fat in boys with HIV. In girls, PA was directly associated only with subtotal and regional BMD.

Association between cardiorespiratory fitness and low back pain is anxiety-dependent: A prospective cohort study among adults and older adults.

To investigate the relationship between low back pain and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) among participants with and without self-report anxiety. Participants were 13,080 individuals (86.6% men; 44.7 ± 9.3 years). CRF was quantified as maximal treadmill test duration and was grouped for analysis as low (lowest 20% of treadmill test duration), moderate (middle 40%), and high (upper 40%). Cox regression analysis was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) between low back pain and CRF according to the presence/absence of self-report anxiety. During an average of 5.7 ± 5.1 years of follow-up, 2,965 cases of low back pain were identified. Participants with self-report anxiety and low CRF had 3.7 times (HR: 3.7; 95%CI: 1.7-8.2) more risk for having low back pain when compared with participants with self-report anxiety and high CRF. Additionally, among participants with self-reported anxiety, moderate CRF was associated with an 70% greater risk of having low back pain than those with high CRF (HR: 1.7; 95%CI: 1.1-3.2). For participants without self-reported anxiety, no association was found between the risk of having low back pain and CRF. According to the results identified in the present study, participants with self-reported anxiety who had low and moderate CRF had higher risks of low back pain than those with high CRF.

Estimating mortality and disability in Peru before the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of the Disease Study 2019.

Background: Estimating and analyzing trends and patterns of health loss are essential to promote efficient resource allocation and improve Peru's healthcare system performance. Methods: Using estimates from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD), Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (2019), we assessed mortality and disability in Peru from 1990 to 2019. We report demographic and epidemiologic trends in terms of population, life expectancy at birth (LE), mortality, incidence, prevalence, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) caused by the major diseases and risk factors in Peru. Finally, we compared Peru with 16 countries in the Latin American (LA) region. Results: The Peruvian population reached 33.9 million inhabitants (49.9% women) in 2019. From 1990 to 2019, LE at birth increased from 69.2 (95% uncertainty interval 67.8-70.3) to 80.3 (77.2-83.2) years. This increase was driven by the decline in under-5 mortality (-80.7%) and mortality from infectious diseases in older age groups (+60 years old). The number of DALYs in 1990 was 9.2 million (8.5-10.1) and reached 7.5 million (6.1-9.0) in 2019. The proportion of DALYs due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) increased from 38.2% in 1990 to 67.9% in 2019. The all-ages and age-standardized DALYs rates and YLLs rates decreased, but YLDs rates remained constant. In 2019, the leading causes of DALYs were neonatal disorders, lower respiratory infections (LRIs), ischemic heart disease, road injuries, and low back pain. The leading risk factors associated with DALYs in 2019 were undernutrition, high body mass index, high fasting plasma glucose, and air pollution. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Peru experienced one of the highest LRIs-DALYs rates in the LA region. Conclusion: In the last three decades, Peru experienced significant improvements in LE and child survival and an increase in the burden of NCDs and associated disability. The Peruvian healthcare system must be redesigned to respond to this epidemiological transition. The new design should aim to reduce premature deaths and maintain healthy longevity, focusing on effective coverage and treatment of NCDs and reducing and managing the related disability.

Associations between anxiety disorders and depression symptoms are related to 24-hour movement behaviors among Brazilian adolescents.

BACKGROUND: We tested whether 24-hour movement behaviors modified the effect of the association between anxiety and depression symptoms among adolescents. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 4141 adolescents aged 15 to 19 years (50.0 % females) across all Brazilian geographic regions. Using self-reported data, 4.4 % (n = 180) reported having been diagnosed with anxiety disorders. We used the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to evaluate depressive symptoms. Accruing moderate-vigorous physical activity during leisure time, <3 h/day of recreational screen, and good sleep quality were the exposures investigated. We evaluated interactions between anxiety and movement behaviors in the association with depression symptoms adjusted by covariates. RESULTS: Adolescents diagnosed with anxiety who met two (B: -4.93; 95%CI: -6.43; -3.44) or three (B: -5.71; 95%CI: -7.85; -3.57) movement behavior targets, and adolescents without diagnosis of anxiety who met one (B: -6.97; 95%CI: -8.15; -5.79), two (B: -8.21; 95%CI: -9.38; -7.03), or three (B: -8.46; 95%CI: -9.66; -7.27) of the movement behavior targets had lower PHQ-9 scores for depression symptoms than adolescents with anxiety who did not meet any of the movement behaviors. There was a significant interaction (B: -1.89; 95%CI: -3.24; -0.55) between anxiety disorders status and meeting the movement behavior targets. LIMITATIONS: The cross-sectional design is a limitation. CONCLUSIONS: Variations in meeting movement behaviors modified the effect of the association between anxiety disorders status and depressive symptoms, with favourable modifications seen in adolescents without anxiety who met one, two or three of the movement behavior targets and in adolescents with anxiety who met two or three of the behaviors.

Which anthropometric equation to predict body fat percentage is more strongly associated with maximum oxygen uptake in adolescents? A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Identifying the relationship between maximum consumption of oxygen and body fat percentage is important due to increased cardiovascular risk factors. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to verify the association between body fat percentage determined by three predictive equations using anthropometric measures (Lohman, Boileau, and Slaughter) and maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max). We also aimed to estimate the capacity of these equations for explaining VO2max variations in adolescents according to sex. DESIGN AND SETTING: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in high schools in São José, Southern Brazil. METHODS: This study included 879 adolescents (14-19 years) from Southern Brazil. Aerobic fitness was assessed using the modified Canadian Aerobic Fitness Test. The independent variable was body fat percentage predicted by the Lohman, Boileau, and Slaughter equations. Analyses adjusted for sociodemographic variables, physical activity level, and sexual maturation were performed with P value < 0.05. RESULTS: All anthropometric prediction equations used to estimate body fat percentage explained VO2max variations in adolescents. In male adolescents, both regression models based on the Boileau et al.12 and Lohman10 equations revealed higher explanatory power for VO2max (20%) compared with that based on the Slaughter et al.13 equation (19%). In female adolescents, the model based on the anthropometric equation of Slaughter et al.13 showed the greatest explanatory power for VO2max (18%). CONCLUSION: The inverse relationship between VO2max and body fat intensifies the need for effective intervention programs that prioritize maintenance of appropriate body fat and aerobic fitness levels because inadequate levels of both factors result in negative health consequences.

Individual and Combined Association between Unhealthy Lifestyle Behaviors and Body Weight Dissatisfaction in a Sample of Adolescents from Southern Brazil.

The individual and combined association between unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and body weight dissatisfaction in adolescents was investigated. This cross-sectional research used data from 676 students (348 female), aged between 14 and 19 years old (mean of 14.6 years old) from southern Brazil. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and body weight dissatisfaction were assessed through a questionnaire. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors included smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, sedentary lifestyle, and poor diet, and were analyzed as individual factors and as combinations of behaviors. For males, smoking (OR: 2.6; 95% CI: 1.6-4.0) and the combination of smoking/excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages (OR: 2.5; 95% CI: 1.1-5.8) were directly associated with the desire to reduce body weight, whereas the combination of smoking/inadequate diet (OR: 1.3; 95% CI: 1.0-1.6) was associated with the desire to increase body weight. For females, the combinations of inadequate diet/physical inactivity (OR: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.0-2.5) and of smoking/excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages (OR: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.4-2.8) were directly associated with the desire to reduce body weight. The presence of simultaneous unhealthy lifestyle behaviors is associated with bodyweight dissatisfaction in adolescents.

Physical Activity and Sleep in Adults and Older Adults in Southern Brazil.

Good sleep quality is a well-known indicator of physical and mental health, well-being, and overall vitality. This study aimed to verify the association between the practice of physical activity and sleep duration and quality in adults and older adults in southern Brazil. A cross-sectional population-based study was carried out with 820 individuals of both sexes aged 18 years or more, where sociodemographic variables were collected and also health-related variables. This study included 523 (63.8%) women and 297 (36.2%) men, and the prevalence of adequate sleep hours was 41.5% (95%CI: 39.1; 44.9). People who performed leisure walking were 34% more likely to present adequate sleep duration (PR: 1.34; 95%CI: 1.10; 1.64) compared to those who did not perform leisure walking. Individuals who met the recommendations for moderate or vigorous physical activity were more likely to have good sleep quality (PR: 1.16; 95%CI: 1.01; 1.34). Future health behavior modification strategies to improve sleep quality at the population level should consider encouraging lifestyle improvements, thus increasing the practice of physical activities.

Reference growth curves to identify weight status (underweight, overweight or obesity) in children and adolescents: systematic review.

The identification of somatic growth, through reference curves, can be used to create strategies and public policies to reduce public health problems such as malnutrition and obesity and to identify underweight, overweight and obesity. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify studies providing reference growth curves for weight status in children and adolescents. A systematic search was conducted in eight databases and in gray literature (Google scholar). To assess the risk of bias/methodological quality of studies, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-sectional Studies (NHLBI) was used. Overall, 86 studies that met the inclusion criteria were included. Through the values   of reference growth curves for the identification of underweight, overweight and obesity, it was possible to verify that there is great variability among percentiles for the identification of underweight, overweight and obesity. The most prevalent percentiles for underweight were P3 and P5; for overweight, the most prevalent was P85 and the most prevalent percentiles for obesity were P95 and P97. The most prevalent anthropometric indicators were Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist Circumference (WC), Body Mass (BM) for age and height for age. Conclusion: Such data can demonstrate that the optimal growth must be reached, through the standard growth curves, but that the reference curves demonstrate a cut of the population growth, raising possible variables that can influence the optimal growth, such as an increase in the practice of physical activities and an awareness of proper nutrition.

Adapted Physical Activity Policies for Children and Adolescents in Brazil: Extension of the Para Report Card Brazil.

Brazil is a country member of the Para Report Card, and Brazilian researchers have frequently published information on physical activity of children and adolescents. The current study aimed to analyze the policies for the promotion of adapted physical activity to Brazilian children and adolescents with disabilities. Official government information on adapted physical activity was analyzed from the official websites. Policies were analyzed based on the Para Report Card benchmarks, and after that we used the principles of SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) to analyze the information. Adapted physical activity is not the main focus of any of the many policies to promote physical activity for children and adolescents. Based on the Para Report Card initiative, the score for this indicator in Brazil is D. Brazil needs to develop specific policies to promote physical activity adapted to the pediatric population with disabilities.

Handgrip Strength Is Not Associated With High Blood Pressure and Does Not Have Good Discriminatory Power for High Blood Pressure in Adolescents.

ABSTRACT: de Lima, TR and Silva, DAS. Handgrip strength is not associated with high blood pressure and does not have good discriminatory power for high blood pressure in adolescents. J Strength Cond Res 37(1): 46-54, 2023-Muscle strength measured by handgrip strength (HGS) was inversely and independently associated with high blood pressure (HBP). In addition, HGS has been used as a valuable indicator for monitoring pediatric health. This study aimed to investigate the association between HGS indexes and HBP, verify the discriminatory capacity of HGS to identify HBP in adolescents, and propose cut-points for HGS to be used in the early identification of HBP if good discriminatory power is identified between the variables. This was a cross-sectional study comprising 811 adolescents (male: 48.9%; age: 16.4 ± 1.3 years) from southern Brazil. Blood pressure was measured by the oscillometric method. Handgrip strength was assessed by a hand dynamometer and 3 different approaches were adopted: (a) HGS in kilogram-force, (b) normalized HGS (HGS/body mass), and (c) allometric HGS (HGS/body mass-0.67). Binary logistic regression was used to verify the association between HGS indexes and HBP, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was used to determine the possible use of HGS as a diagnostic tool for HBP. Handgrip strength indexes were not associated with HBP (p > 0.05), and ROC analyses showed a nonsignificant discriminating accuracy for most of the HGS indexes analyzed (p > 0.05) in identifying HBP in boys and girls. The area under curve (AUC) values ranged from 0.499 (95% CI [0.403-0.596] for allometric HGS among overweight or obese boys) to 0.595 (95% CI [0.546-0.643] for HGS among boys). Handgrip strength was not associated with HBP, and its use in the screening of HBP in adolescents is not recommended.

Regional phase angle, not whole-body, is augmented in response to pre-season in professional soccer players.

The objective of this article was to assess the effects of six-week pre-season training on whole-body and regional bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)-derived parameters, body composition, power, and aerobic performance in professional soccer players. Ten professional soccer athletes participated in the present study. Whole-body and regional hamstrings BIA-derived parameters [resistance, reactance, impedance, phase angle (PhA)], body composition, total body water (TBW), intracellular (ICW), and extracellular (ECW) were measured before, at mid-point, and after sixth week of the pre-season. Power (countermovement jump and squat jump) and aerobic capacity (Yo-Yo test) were measured before and after pre-season. There was a significant increase in the regional PhA (+13.9%) but not in the whole-body. There was a reduction in fat mass (-4.1%), an increase in fat-free mass (+1.7%), TBW (+8.3%), ICW (+8.8%), and ECW (+7.6%), as well as an increase in jump height (+11.0%) and distance covered in the Yo-Yo test (+34.7%). From our results, it is possible to suggest that pre-season training can induce an increase in hamstring PhA as well as body recomposition and improvement of physical fitness in professional soccer players.

Body Weight Dissatisfaction and Health Risk Behaviors in Adolescents.

Body weight dissatisfaction has been described as a marker for various health diseases, given its direct association with social, physical, and emotional suffering. We investigated the association between body weight dissatisfaction and health risk behaviors in adolescents. This was a cross-sectional study conducted with 668 adolescents aged 14-19 years in the city of São José, southern Brazil. Body weight satisfaction/dissatisfaction was assessed using a questionnaire validated for the investigated population. Health risk behaviors included smoking, alcohol, illicit drugs, medication, non-prescription anabolic steroids, not using seatbelt, unsafe sexual behavior and not knowing how to deal with day-to-day stress. Among males, 66.1% were dissatisfied with their body weight (32.1% due to thinness and 34.0% due to overweight). Among females, 80.0% were dissatisfied with their body weight (24.5% due to thinness and 55.5% due to overweight). There were no significant differences regarding health risk behaviors according to body weight satisfaction/dissatisfaction and sex. Compared to males who were satisfied with their body weight, those who were dissatisfied due to being overweight were more likely to be using tobacco (OR: 2.9; 95% CI: 2.1-4.2), alcohol (OR: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.5-1.9) and anabolic steroids (OR: 2.7; 95% CI: 1.2-5.7). Compared to females who were satisfied with their body weight, those who were dissatisfied due to thinness were more likely to be consuming alcoholic beverages (OR: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.2-2.0) and less likely to be consuming illicit drugs (OR: 0.5; 95% CI: 0.3-0.8). Interventions aimed at health education regarding the non-adoption of risk behaviors such as alcohol and tobacco use, as well as the non-use of anabolic steroids, and favoring the maintenance of general health, may be important for adolescents with body dissatisfaction. These data suggest that health risk behaviors such as adolescent male use of tobacco, alcohol, and anabolic steroids and the use of alcohol and drugs by female adolescents can be related to body weight dissatisfaction.