The Association Between Physical Activity and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Children

• Author / Creator

  Darvesh, Nazia

• Modifiable cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, such as adiposity, are already associated with atherosclerotic progression in childhood. Less is known about whether physical activity (PA) is associated with progression of atherosclerosis in non-clinical samples of children.
  This cross-sectional study used baseline data from 426 eight- to ten-year-olds from the Quebec Adiposity and Lifestyle Investigation in Youth (QUALITY) Study to assess associations between PA and carotid intima media-thickness (cIMT) – a surrogate marker of atherosclerosis, and potential effect modification by adiposity and fitness. Results of this thesis should be interpreted with caution, as validity of cIMT measurement from the QUALITY Study is currently being investigated because of suboptimal reliability and precision of ultrasound equipment.
  PA was not associated with cIMT in this at-risk sample. Analyses in adiposity or fitness categories showed potential differences by groups. More structured and high-intensity PA may be required to slow atherosclerotic progression between childhood and adulthood.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Children
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Carotid intima-media thickness
  • Fitness
  • Physical activity
  • Epidemiology
  • Adiposity
  • Cardiovascular diseases

• Graduation date

  Spring 2014

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3B27PZ1M

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.