Table 1. Baseline descriptive characteristics of the study population.
| Variable | Girls (n=198) | Boys (n=201) | All (n=399) | p-value for difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | ||||
| Age (years) | 7.6 ± 0.4 | 7.7 ± 0.4 | 7.6 ± 0.4 | 0.082 |
| Anthropometrics | ||||
| Weight (kg) | 26 ± 4.6 | 27.3 ± 4.7 | 26.7 ± 4.7 | 0.003 |
| Height (cm) | 127.5 ± 5.5 | 129.9 ± 5.5 | 128.7 ± 5.7 | <0.001 |
| Body mass index standard deviation score1 | -0.109 ± 0.99 | 0.06 ± 1.11 | -0.02 ± 1.05 | 0.104 |
| Waist circumference (cm) | 55.4 ± 5.4 | 57.2 ± 5.2 | 55.3 ± 5.4 | <0.001 |
| Body fat percentage (%) | 21.7 ± 7.2 | 17.2 ± 7.8 | 19.4 ± 7.8 | <0.001 |
| Pubertal status (%)* | ||||
| Prepubertal | 97,5 | 98,5 | 98,0 | 0.462 |
| Pubertal | 2,5 | 1,5 | 2,0 | |
| Biochemical markers | ||||
| HOMA Insulin Resistance | 1.00 ± 0.51 | 0.94 ± 0.60 | 0.97 ± 0.56 | 0.056 |
| Fasting serum insulin (mU/L) | 4.64 ± 2.16 | 4.24 ± 2.5 | 4.44 ± 2.34 | 0.013 |
| Fasting plasma glucose (mmol/L) | 4.75 ± 0.39 | 4.88 ± 0.36 | 4.81 ± 0.38 | <0.001 |
| Fasting plasma triglycerides (mmol/L) | 0.61 ± 0.24 | 0.59 ± 0.24 | 0.60 ± 0.24 | 0.156 |
| Fasting plasma HDL cholesterol (mmol/L) | 1.57 ± 0.29 | 1.62 ± 0.31 | 1.59 ± 0.30 | 0.106 |
| Fasting plasma LDL cholesterol (mmol/L) | 2.38 ± 0.51 | 2.30 ± 0.5 | 2.34 ± 0.51 | 0.115 |
| Fasting plasma total cholesterol (mmol/L) | 4.28 ± 0.6 | 4.21 ± 0.62 | 4.25 ± 0.61 | 0.134 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 99.8 ± 7.3 | 100.4 ± 7.2 | 100 ± 7.3 | 0.413 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 60.9 ± 7.6 | 61.6 ± 7.0 | 61.2 ± 7.3 | 0.380 |
| Cardiometabolic risk score | -0.22 ± 3.33 | 0.09 ± 3.64 | -0.07 ± 3.48 | 0.361 |
| Objectively measured movement behaviors | ||||
| Total sedentary time (min/d) | 241 ± 128 | 225 ± 125 | 233 ± 127 | <0.001 |
| Light physical activity (min/d) | 522 ± 108 | 499 ± 101 | 510 ± 105 | 0.010 |
| Moderate to vigorous physical activity (min/d) | 97 ± 53 | 135 ± 67 | 116 ± 63 | <0.001 |
| Moderate physical activity (min/d) | 81 ± 45 | 105 ± 57 | 93 ± 53 | <0.001 |
| Vigorous physical activity (min/d) | 16 ± 16 | 31 ± 26 | 23 ± 23 | <0.001 |
| PAEE (kJ/kg/day) | 89.7 ± 27.4 | 105.3 ± 33.3 | 97.6 ± 31.5 | <0.001 |
Values are means and standard deviations for all variables. P-values are from independent samples t-test for variables with normal distributions or Mann–Whitney U-test for variables with skewed distribution and chi-square test for categorical variables.
1
Based on Finnish reference values.
*
Pubertal status using Tanner 5-stage criteria