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SDSU-UCSD Study Ties Lack of Strenuous Exercise,
CONTACT: Jason Foster The investigators, from SDSU's Psychology Department
and Student Health Services, as well as UCSD's School of Medicine
and Kaiser Permanente San Diego, looked at how nutritional factors,
physical activity and sedentary behavior correlated to obesity in
878 adolescents. The study, published in the April 2004 issue of
the American Medical Association's Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent
Medicine, is one of the largest and best-conducted efforts ever
to probe the relationship between multiple lifestyle factors and
obesity in youths, researchers said. "We're connecting more dots, and in more detail,"
said SDSU Psychology professor James Sallis, Ph.D., one of the co-principal
investigators for the study along with Karen Calfas, Ph.D., Director
of Health Promotion for SDSU's Student Health Services. (UCSD Professor
of Family and Preventive Medicine Kevin Patrick, M.D., served as
the study's principal investigator.) "We're seeing patterns
of behavior that put adolescents at greater risk for being overweight.
This promises to improve our ability to advise kids on how they
can avoid or reduce obesity -- how to eat better, reducing sedentary
time, what kinds of physical activity they should pursue." The study also found, consistent with previous
studies, that overweight status among boys was related to time watching
television. Boys in the at-risk or overweight group said they watched
30 percent more minutes of television per non-school day than "normal"
weight boys (141.5 minutes vs. 108.4 minutes, respectively). No
group difference was found among girls. In analyzing physical activity, researchers used
an accelerometer, a small device worn on a belt that tracks amount
and level of all exercise every minute for a week. Both girls and
boys in the "normal" weight group participated in two
to four more minutes per day of strenuous physical activity compared
to those in the at-risk or overweight group - small differences
that add up to thousands of calories over a year. Boys, but not
girls, also showed a statistical difference between groups in terms
of moderate physical activity per day. The activity data also point to the need for increased
exercise among all girls, and that Hispanic girls may need improved
interventions that account for specific social and cultural factors
that may relate to weight, the researchers said. In analyzing dietary factors, there was no significant
difference in fat calories consumed between the "normal"
weight group of adolescents and the at-risk or overweight group.
However, the "normal" weight boys and girls consistently
reported eating higher amounts of fibrous foods, such as whole grains
or fruits and vegetables, in comparison to the at-risk or overweight
group. "This shows the need to go beyond strictly
counting calories and look at quality of calories or foods consumed
to reduce risks of obesity," SDSU's Sallis said. Overall, the investigators found that 45.7 percent
of the study's 878 adolescents were at risk for becoming overweight
or were already overweight, according to the standard body mass
index (BMI) for age. The children were recruited from the practices
of 45 primary care physicians from six San Diego County clinics.
Approximately 42 percent of the sample's participants were from
non-white ethnic backgrounds, primarily Hispanic. The study began
in 2001 and was funded by the National Cancer Institute. In addition to Patrick, Sallis and Calfas, study
authors included Gregory J Norman, Ph.D., and Marion F. Zabinski,
Ph.D., MPH, UCSD; and John Cella, M.D., Kaiser Permanente Medical
Group, San Diego. Sallis said the next phase of this project, gathering
data on the effectiveness of various kinds of behavior change strategies
(increased activity, changed diet, etc.) on the same group of 878
youths, is under way. That research could be ready for publication
as early as mid-2005. *Participants Sought for "Men in Motion"
Study* Men between the ages of 25 and 55 are sought by
researchers at SDSU and the UCSD School of Medicine to participate
in a two-year study designed to help men lose weight, become more
physically active, and improve their dietary habits. Sponsored by
the National Institutes of Health, the study is called "PACE:
Men in Motion." The program is Internet-based and allows participants
to access a website available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
"PACE: Men in Motion" consists of two different groups:
Program A will focus on physical activity and nutrition, while Program
B includes comprehensive education on various men's health issues,
plus activity and diet. Volunteers will be randomly assigned to
either Program A or B and will receive financial compensation for
their participation. For more information and to enroll in the study,
call the PACE office at (858) 457-7282 or visit the Men in Motion
website at http://www.men-in-motion.org. SDSU is the oldest and largest institution of higher
education in the San Diego region. Founded in 1897, SDSU offers
bachelor's degrees in 79 areas, master's degrees in 67 and doctorates
in 14. SDSU's nearly 34,000 students participate in academic curricula
distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international
emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information
log on to www.sdsu.edu. ### |
