Open Access
Liver fat content and body fat distribution in youths with excess adiposity
(MDPI, 2018) Ramírez Vélez, Robinson; Izquierdo Redín, Mikel; Correa Bautista, Jorge Enrique; Correa Rodríguez, María; Schmidt Río-Valle, Jacqueline; González Jiménez, Emilio; González Ruiz, Katherine; Ciencias de la Salud; Osasun Zientziak
This study had two main objectives: To examine the association between body fat distribution and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and liver fat content, and to determine whether the relationship between NAFLD and regional body fat distribution, with respect to liver fat content in youths with excess adiposity, is independent of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and a healthy diet. Liver fat content (controlled attenuation parameter (CAP)), body fat distribution (body mass index (BMI) z-score, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, fat mass/height, body fat percentage, total fat mass, android-to-gynoid fat mass ratio, visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and lean mass index, determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)), CRF (20-m shuttle-run test), and healthy diet (adherence to the Mediterranean diet by KIDMED questionnaire) were measured in 126 adolescents (66% girls) aged between 11 and 17 years. Participants were assigned to two groups according to the presence or absence of hepatic steatosis (CAP values >225 dB/m or <225 dB/m of liver fat, respectively). Considering the similar total fat values for the two groups (>30% by DXA), youths with NAFLD had higher fat distribution parameters than those without NAFLD, regardless of sex, age, puberty stage, lean mass index, CRF, and healthy diet (p < 0.01). In the non-NAFLD group, the association between hepatic fat and fat distribution parameters presented a similar pattern, although the association was statistically insignificant after adjusting for a potential confounding variable (ps > 0.05), except for the case of VAT. Body fat distribution parameters were higher in youths with NAFLD compared to those without NAFLD. Additionally, body fat distribution showed a significant association with liver fat content as assessed by CAP in youths with NAFLD independent of CRF and adherence to the Mediterranean diet, supporting the notion that upper body fat distribution might play a pivotal role in the development of NAFLD in adolescents. These results may have implications for the clinical management of youths with excess adiposity given the high prevalence of NAFLD in children and young adults.
Open Access
Association between bullying victimization and physical fitness among children and adolescents
(Asociación Española de Psicología Conductual (AEPC), 2019) García Hermoso, Antonio; Oriol Granado, Xavier; Correa Bautista, Jorge Enrique; Ramírez Vélez, Robinson; Ciencias de la Salud; Osasun Zientziak
Antecedentes/Objetivo: el objetivo del estudio fue analizar la relación entre el bullying y la condición física, y determinar si un nivel físico saludable está relacionado con menor nivel de victimización en niños y adolescentes con sobrepeso y obesidad en comparación con suscompañeros con sobrepeso u obesidad no aptos. Método: se incluyó un total de 7.714 niños y adolescentes (9-17 años), categorizados en peso normal o sobrepeso/obeso y aptos o no aptos a través de puntos de corte específicos para la capacidad aeróbica y fuerza manual en esta población. El bullying (físico, verbal, exclusión social, acoso sexual y cyberbullying) se evaluó a través de autoinforme. Resultados: los jóvenes categorizados como aptos (capacidad cardio-respiratoria) padecen menos bullying en comparación con sus homólogos no aptos. Además, un nivel saludable de capacidad cardiorrespiratoria se relacionó con menor bullying tradicional entre los jóvenes con sobrepeso/obesidad en comparación con sus homólogos no aptos. Conclusiones: la capacidad cardiorrespiratoria se relaciona con un menor riesgo de sufrir acoso escolar tradicional en los jóvenes latinos con y sin obesidad, lo que enfatiza el papel del buen estado físico incluso entre los jóvenes con exceso de adiposidad.
Open Access
Aerobic capacity and future cardiovascular risk in Indian community from a low-income area in Cauca, Colombia
(BioMed Central, 2017) Ramírez Vélez, Robinson; Correa Bautista, Jorge Enrique; Ramos Sepúlveda, Jeison Alexander; Piñeros Álvarez, Carlos Andrés; Giraldo, Lorena Isabel; Izquierdo Redín, Mikel; García Hermoso, Antonio; Rodríguez Rodríguez, Fernando; Cristi Montero, Carlos; Ciencias de la Salud; Osasun Zientziak
Background: Several studies indicates that children’s aerobic capacity levels are predictors of the future risk of non-communicable diseases. Therefore, the aim of this study was to establish the proportion of subjects whose aerobic capacity is indicative of future cardiovascular risk in Indian-Nasa community from a low-income area in Cauca, Colombia. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of morphological component (height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, triceps skinfold, subscapular skinfold, and body fat percent [BF%]), and the cardiorespiratory component (course-navette 20 m, shuttle run test and estimation of maximal oxygen consumption by indirect VO2max) from 576 participants (319 boys and 257 girls) aged 10 to 17.9 years, using the standardized FUPRECOL test battery. Results: We showed that the boys performed better than the girls in cardiorespiratory fitness. The proportion of subjects with an aerobic capacity indicative of future cardiovascular risk was 7.3%. By sex, 3.8% of boys and 11.7% of girls (X2 p = 0.001) displayed an unhealthy aerobic capacity in this study. Conclusion: The findings of this study that provide the first data on aerobic capacity health for Colombian Nasa Indian children and adolescents aged 10–17.9 years. Although the known loss of aerobic capacity is a serious consequence of the future risk of non-communicable diseases, the deterioration of physical fitness deserves increased attention among indigenous population.
Open Access
Normative reference values for the 20 m shuttle-run test in a population-based sample of school-aged youth in Bogota, Colombia: the FUPRECOL study
(Wiley, 2017) Ramírez Vélez, Robinson; Palacios López, Adalberto; Prieto Benavides, Daniel Humberto; Correa Bautista, Jorge Enrique; Izquierdo Redín, Mikel; Alonso Martínez, Alicia; Ciencias de la Salud; Osasun Zientziak
Objectives: Our aim was to determine the normative reference values of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and to establish the proportion of subjects with low CRF suggestive of future cardio‐metabolic risk. Methods: A total of 7244 children and adolescents attending public schools in Bogota, Colombia (55.7% girls; age range of 9–17.9 years) participated in this study. We expressed CRF performance as the nearest stage (minute) completed and the estimated peak oxygen consumption (V˙O2peak). Smoothed percentile curves were calculated. In addition, we present the prevalence of low CRF after applying a correction factor to account for the impact of Bogota's altitude (2625 m over sea level) on CRF assessment, and we calculated the number of participants who fell below health‐related FITNESSGRAM cut‐points for low CRF. Results: Shuttles and V˙O2peak were higher in boys than in girls in all age groups. In boys, there were higher levels of performance with increasing age, with most gains between the ages of 13 and 17. The proportion of subjects with a low CRF, suggestive of future cardio‐metabolic risk (health risk FITNESSGRAM category) was 31.5% (28.2% for boys and 34.1% for girls; X2 P = .001). After applying a 1.11 altitude correction factor, the overall prevalence of low CRF was 11.5% (9.6% for boys and 13.1% for girls; X2 P = .001).
Open Access
Grip strength moderates the association between anthropometric and body composition indicators and liver fat in youth with an excess of adiposity
(MDPI, 2018) Ramírez Vélez, Robinson; Izquierdo Redín, Mikel; Correa Bautista, Jorge Enrique; Tordecilla Sanders, Alejandra; Correa Rodríguez, María; Schmidt Río-Valle, Jacqueline; González Jiménez, Emilio; González Ruiz, Katherine; Ciencias de la Salud; Osasun Zientziak
Paediatric non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered the most common early driver of chronic liver disease. The aim of this study was to examine whether grip strength moderates the association between anthropometric and body composition parameters and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), an indicator of fat deposits in the liver, in children and adolescents with excess of adiposity. A total of 127 adolescents (67% girls) aged between 11 and 17, attending two public schools in Bogota (Colombia), who had an axiological evaluation of obesity were included in this study. A grip strength test was assessed as an indicator of muscular strength, and cardiorespiratory fitness by maximal oxygen uptake was assessed using the 20 m shuttle-run test. Waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), fat mass, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) (cm(3)) were included as anthropometric and body composition measures. CAP was determined with a FibroScan((R)) 502 Touch device (Echosens, Paris, France). The anthropometric and body composition parameters including WC, WHtR, fat mass, and VAT were positively associated with the CAP (range = 0.423 to 0.580), slightly reduced after being adjusted for handgrip strength/weight. The Johnson-Neyman technique revealed a significant inverse relationship between WC, WHtR, VAT, and CAP when grip strength normalized by body mass was above but not equal to or below 0.475 (8.1% of the sample), 0.469 (8.9% of the sample), and 0.470 (8.5% of the sample), respectively. In conclusion, grip strength adjusted by body mass, has a moderating effect on the association between anthropometric and body composition parameters (including WC, WHtR, and VAT) and CAP in in children and adolescents with excess of adiposity, suggesting the importance of promoting muscular strength during paediatric population in order to prevent NAFLD.