Relationship between physique, body composition and lifestyle factors in preschool children.

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K02600
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 09030:Childhood and nursery/pre-school education-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto Women's University
• Principal Investigator: Mase Tomoki 京都女子大学, 発達教育学部, 教授 (90612846)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 中村 晴信 関西医科大学, 医学部, 非常勤講師 (10322140)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 幼児 / 体格 / 体組成 / 生活習慣

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The physique and body fat percentage in early childhood were factors associated with the occurrence of adiposity rebound that happens early in childhood. Moreover, children with a high amount of skeletal muscle during early childhood had higher body weight, BMI, lean body mass, and total muscle mass, while on the other hand, their body fat percentage was lower. Furthermore, the abundance of skeletal muscle was associated with physical activity, but it was also related to lifestyle habits such as the intake of sweet snacks and television viewing time. On the other hand, children with a high body fat percentage during early childhood had higher body weight, BMI, and body fat mass. In addition, the abundance of body fat percentage was associated with physical activity as well as lifestyle habits such as breakfast and soft drink intake, and television viewing time.

Free Research Field

応用健康科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

幼児の体格・体組成と生活習慣因子との関連性を検討した報告は少なく、その正確な実態は明らかではない。幼児の筋量、骨量、脂肪量を測定するとともに、生活習慣を調査し、さらに縦断的に検討することにより、これまで未解明であった幼児の体格および体組成の形成とそれに係る因果関係を推察できる。また、生活習慣との関係が判明すれば、日常生活での予防行動に有用な示唆を与えることが可能となる。幼児期の体組成を測定して生活習慣との関連を見出すことにより、体組成に影響を及ぼす要因を明らかにすることができ、幼児期における肥満形成に働くメカニズムについて提唱することが可能となる。