Abstract
Sports practice during childhood can influence health indicators in later ages through
direct and indirect pathways. Thus, this study aimed to test direct and indirect pathways
to the association between sports practice in childhood and metabolic risk in adolescence,
adopting physical activity, adiposity, and cardiorespiratory fitness at adolescence
as potential mediators. This cross-sectional study with retrospective information
was conducted with 991 adolescents (579 girls, 412 boys) aged 10 to 16 y. Sports activity
was self-reported in childhood (retrospective data) and physical activity evaluated
in adolescence through questionnaires. Somatic maturation (Mirwald method), cardiorespiratory
fitness (20-m shuttle-run test), body fat (skinfolds), waist circumference, blood
pressure (automatic instrument) and blood variables (fasting glucose, HDL cholesterol,
and triglycerides) were measured at adolescence. Waist circumference, blood pressure
and blood variables composed the metabolic risk score. Structured equation modeling
was adopted. In both sexes, the relationship between sports practice at childhood
and metabolic risk was fully mediated by habitual physical activity, which is related
to the obesity construct and cardiorespiratory fitness. Obesity was associated with
metabolic risk in boys (β=0.062; p<0.001) and girls (β=0.047; p<0.001). The relationship
between sports practice in childhood and metabolic risk in adolescence was mediated
by physical activity, obesity, and cardiorespiratory fitness.
Key words
motor activity - child - obesity - cardiorespiratory fitness - puberty