Browsing by Author "Santos, Paula C."
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- Body fatness, cardiorespiratory fitness and inflammatory markers In adolescentsPublication . Moreira, Carla; Abreu, Sandra; Santos, Paula C.; Lopes, LuísThe alarming increase in obesity worldwide and the decrease in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) levels among adolescents are of concern in the development of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between body fatness, CRF, and inflammatory markers [C-reactive protein (C-RP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and leptin] in a sample of Portuguese adolescents. We assessed the hypothesis that adolescents with higher body fatness and lower CRF levels will have an increased level of inflammatory markers. A cross-sectional school-based study was conducted on 529 Portuguese adolescents (268 girls) aged 12-18 years (mean age 14.3±1.7). Body fatness (BF) was assessed using the Bioelectric Impedance Analysis. Intravenous blood samples were taken after an overnight fast to determine inflammatory markers (C-RP, IL-6, TNF-α, and leptin). CRF was measured with the 20m-Shuttle-Run-Test from the Fitnessgram battery test as number of laps. Pearson correlation was used for bivariate associations between BF, CRF and inflammatory markers. Linear regression analyses were used to examine the association between BF, CRF and inflammation markers with adjustments for age and sex. Pearson’s correlation analyses, adjusted for age and sex, revealed that BF was positively correlated with leptin (r=0.640, P <0.001) and C-RP (r=0.235, P <0.001), and negatively correlated with CRF (r= -0.473, P <0.001) whereas CRF was inversely correlated leptin (r= -0.420, P <0.001) and C-RP (r= –0.226, P <0.001). Among the inflammatory markers leptin (β= 0.188, p<0.001) and C-RP (β= 0.030, p<0.05) were positively associated with BF whereas leptin (β= -0,160, p<0.001) and C-RP (β= -0.56, p<0.001) were inversely associated with CRF, conversely, TNF-α (β= 0.118, p<0.05) showed a positive association with CRF. No associations were found between BF, CRF and IL-6. Our findings emphasize the importance of increasing CRF levels and decrease body fatness among adolescents in order to prevent metabolic abnormalities predisposed to or associated inflammation and thus contribute to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases later in life.
- Metabolic syndrome and physical fitness in a sample of azorean adolescents.Publication . Moreira, Carla; Santos, Rute; Vale, Susana; Soares-Miranda, Luísa; Marques, Ana I.; Santos, Paula C.; Mota, JorgeMetabolic syndrome, a predecessor of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, has become prevalent in adolescents. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components and to analyze the relationship between metabolic syndrome and overall physical fitness levels in a sample of Azorean adolescents. A cross-sectional school-based study, the Azorean Physical Activity and Health Study II, was conducted on 517 adolescents (297 girls, 220 boys) aged 15–18 years old from the Azorean Islands. Body height, weight, waist circumference, and arterial blood pressure were measured according to standards. Fasting intravenous blood samples were analyzed (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose). Physical fitness was assessed using five tests from Fitnessgram Test Battery 8.0: Curl-up, push-up, trunk lift, pacer, and sit-and-reach. Adolescents were then classified as being in the healthy zone or above or under the healthy zone. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the 2007 International Diabetes Federation‘s guidelines for adolescents. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 5% (4.7% in girls and 5.5% in boys, P > 0.05). Waist circumference was the most prevalent component (32.9%), and hypertriglyceridemia the least (4.4%). Logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for pubertal stage and socioeconomic status, unfit adolescents (healthy zone criteria in ≤2 tests) were more likely [odds ratio (OR) = 3.414; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.150–10.129] to be classified as having metabolic syndrome. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is high in Azorean adolescents. Unfit adolescents were more likely to have metabolic syndrome than fit adolescents. Improving overall physical fitness levels and abdominal obesity reduction may be important strategies in overcoming this public health problem and its consequences.
- Physical activity during pregnancy and its effects on neonatal outcomesPublication . Santos, Paula C.; Leirós-Rodríguez, Raquel; Abreu, Sandra; Ferreira, Margarida; Alves, Odete; Mota, JorgeDespite the acknowledgement that physical activity is beneficial during pregnancy and may result in positive health outcomes for the newborn child few studies have examined this issue. This research was deemed necessary with the primary objective of identifying possible associations between adherence to American College of Sports Medicine recommendations on neonatal outcome variables at birth. An observational, longitudinal and prospective study focused on a sample of 70 pregnant women (the power score achieved was estimated to be 0.3). Data was collected in three stages (1st and 2nd trimester of pregnancy and 48 h after delivery). The variables analyzed included the physical activity measurement (with accelerometry), neonatal outcomes at birth and the mother's anxiety, dietary intake, anthropometric measures and socio-demographic and lifestyle. Results: 21.4% women were active according to physical activity recommendations. There were no significant differences in neonatal outcomes at birth when comparing adherence to physical activity recommendations and the overall activity levels of the mothers. There were also no statistically significant differences in the birth weights of babies born to active and inactive mothers. Mother's anxiety level, weight gained and dietary intake were not statistically different according to compliance with physical activity behaviour or recommendations. There is no relationship between adherence to physical activity recommendations on neonatal outcome variables at birth. There were also no significant associations with sociodemographic and lifestyle variables. There is a need to identify attitudes associated with negative physical activity behavior to reduce the incidence of comorbidities associated with sedentary lifestyles during pregnancy.