Sara A. Goodrum¹, Timothy A. Brusseau¹, Janet M. Shaw¹, Ryan D. Burns^1,

Childhood obesity is a major focus of public health. The purpose of this study was to determine whether after-school physical activity and dietary habits predict cardio-metabolic risk in a sample of ethnic minority elementary school-aged children from low-income schools. Participants were a convenience sample of 92 children (3^rd-6^th grades) recruited from four Title I schools located in a metropolitan area from the Mountain West region of the United States. Children completed portions of the After School Student Questionnaire (ASSQ) and Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C) to measure after-school physical activity and nutrition, respectively. Blood pressure, waist circumference and cardio-metabolic blood markers were collected in a fasted state to calculate a continuous metabolic syndrome (MetS) composite score. Predictive relationships were analyzed using a multiple linear regression model. Neither physical activity or nutrition scores were predictive of a MetS score. However, there was a linear, positive, and moderate correlation between physical activity and nutrition scores (r = 0.29, p < 0.05). The findings indicate that cardio-metabolic health cannot be predicted based on self-reported after-school physical activity and nutrition habits. There are many challenges that arise when analyzing cardio-metabolic health in children; however, this is an area of research that needs further analysis. A clearer understanding of these relationships can aid in identifying risk factors for disease at an earlier age and aid in future intervention development.

children’s health, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, overweight