Table 1.
Demographic characteristics and anthropometrics, blood pressure, blood lipids, and covariates (moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and screen time (ST)) of fifth-grade Kuwaiti boys and girls.
| Characteristic | Overall (n = 313) | Boys (n = 148) | Girls (n = 165) | p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City | ||||
| Capital | 11.8% | 9.5% | 13.9% | 0.22 |
| Hawalli | 38.7% | 37.8% | 39.4% | 0.77 |
| Farwaniya | 5.8% | 6.8% | 4.8% | 0.47 |
| Mubarak Al-Kabir | 22.7% | 25.7% | 20.0% | 0.23 |
| Ahmadi | 10.5% | 3.4% | 17.0% | 0.001 |
| Jahra | 10.5% | 16.9% | 4.8% | 0.001 |
| Age (years) | 10.45 ± 0.38 | 10.44 ± 0.35 | 10.46 ± 0.40 | 0.572 |
| Height (cm) | 142.06 ± 6.62 | 141.3± 7.07 | 142.4 ± 6.12 | 0.104 |
| Weight (kg) | 44.48 ± 13.11 | 43.93 ± 14.22 | 44.98 ± 12.05 | 0.479 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 21.74 ± 4.99 | 21.59 ± 5.32 | 21.87 ± 4.68 | 0.631 * |
| BMI Z-score | 1.42 ± 0.07 | 1.47 ± 0.11 | 1.39 ± 0.10 | 0.103 * |
| +1 Z-score | 22.8% | 18.2% | 26.8% | 0.071 |
| +2 Z-score | 42% | 43.9% | 40.2% | 0.511 |
| WC (cm) | 69.9 ± 0.78 | 69.5 ± 1.21 | 70.3 ± 1.0 | 0.466 * |
| BF% | 28.5 ± 0.57 | 27.4 ± 0.95 | 29.5 ± 0.67 | 0.468 * |
| SBP mmHg | 106.3 ± 0.69 | 103.9 ± 0.99 | 108.3 ± 0.94 | 0.058 * |
| DBP mmHg | 68.01 ± 0.55 | 65.1 ± 0.73 | 70.5 ± 0.76 | 0.001 * |
| Elevated BP | ||||
| ≥90th to <95th percentiles or 120/<80 to 129/<80 mm Hg | 16% (n = 49) | 5.2% (n = 16) | 10.7% (n = 33) | 0.029 |
| Stage 1 HTN | ||||
| 95th percentiles or 130/80 to 139/89 mmHg Stage 2 HTN |
2.9% (n = 9) | 1.3% (n = 4) | 1.6% (n = 5) | 0.881 |
| 95th + 12 mmHg or ≥140/90 mm Hg |
0.7% (n = 2) | 0.3% (n = 1) | 0.3% (n = 1) | 0.930 |
| TC (mg/dL) | 152.9 ± 2.2 | 149.5 ± 2.7 | 156 ± 3.4 | 0.837 * |
| LDL (mg/dL) | 82.6 ± 1.81 | 82.9 ± 2.66 | 82.4 ± 2.47 | 0.505 * |
| HDL (mg/dL) | 51.5 ± 0.94 | 51.6 ± 1.18 | 51.4 ± 1.45 | 0.383 * |
| None-HDL (mg/dL) | 100.7 ± 1.7 | 99.2 ± 2.4 | 102.1 ± 2.5 | 0.936 * |
| TC:HDL | 3.0 ± 0.05 | 2.9 ± 0.07 | 3.1 ± 0.08 | 0.399 * |
| Triglycerides (mg/dL) | 98.4 ± 3.2 | 90.1 ± 4.1 | 105.7 ± 4.9 | 0.029 * |
| Covariate | ||||
| MVPA (d/wk) | 2.89 ± 2.34 | 3.37 ± 2.36 | 2.47 ± 2.24 | 0.001 |
| % met MVPA | 19.3% | 24% | 15.2% | 0.054 |
| ST (h/day) | 4.72 ± 2.68 | 4.97 ± 2.56 | 4.50 ± 2.77 | 0.119 |
| % met ST ≤ 2 h/d | 17.4% | 9.6% | 24.2% | 0.001 |
Descriptive statistics—general linear model adjusted * for MVPA and ST presented as mean (SD) or SE, p < 0.05 for differences between sexes: BMI, body mass index; BF%, percentage body fat; WC, waist circumference; SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; BP, blood pressure; HTN, hypertension; TC, total cholesterol; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; MVPA, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (number of days over past week (7 days) meeting > 60 min); ST, screen time (h/day). Italics indicates controlled variables.