Observational Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Pediatr. Dec 9, 2024; 13(4): 97105
Published online Dec 9, 2024. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.v13.i4.97105
Visceral adiposity index, cardiorespiratory fitness, and fasting plasma glucose associations in adolescents
Danladi Ibrahim Musa, Rafiu O Okuneye, Joseph Ibrahim Momoh, Musa Haladu Darma, Mary O Onoja-Alexander, Francis M Mwangi
Danladi Ibrahim Musa, Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education, Kogi State University, Anyigba 272102, Kogi, Nigeria
Rafiu O Okuneye, Department of Human Kinetics, Sports and Health Education, Lagos State University, Ojo Lagos 102003, Lagos, Nigeria
Joseph Ibrahim Momoh, Department of Human Physiology, Kogi State University, Anyigba 272102, Kogi, Nigeria
Musa Haladu Darma, Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education, Bayero University, Kano 700101, Kano, Nigeria
Mary O Onoja-Alexander, Department of Community Medicine, Kogi State University, Anyigba 272102, Kogi, Nigeria
Francis M Mwangi, Department of Physical Education, Exercise and Sport Science, Kenyatta University, Nairobi 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
Author contributions: Musa DI conceived the study, analyzed the data and wrote the draft of the manuscript; Okuneye RO participated in data analysis, literature search and preparation of the manuscript; Momoh JI and Darma MH participated in data collection, literature search and proofread the manuscript; Onoja-Alexander MO and Mwangi FM participated in literature search and revised the manuscript critically for intellectual content; All authors have read and approved the final draft of the manuscript.
Institutional review board statement: Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical Review Committee of the College of Health Sciences, Kogi State University, Nigeria (No. COHS/02/25/2020).
Informed consent statement: Written informed consent was obtained from parents/guardians, and participants provided assent before data collection. All test administration procedures complied with the ethical standards of the Helsinki Declaration.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflict of interest.
Data sharing statement: Technical appendix, statistical code and dataset available from the corresponding author at dimusa55@gmail.com.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement—checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement—checklist of items.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Danladi Ibrahim Musa, PhD, Professor, Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education, Kogi State University, Faculty of Education, Anyigba 272102, Kogi, Nigeria. dimusa55@gmail.com
Received: May 23, 2024
Revised: October 1, 2024
Accepted: October 21, 2024
Published online: December 9, 2024
Processing time: 160 Days and 4.1 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

The global rise in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in children and adolescents is partly linked to the increasing rates of childhood obesity and physical inactivity.

AIM

To explore the independent relationships of visceral adiposity index (VAI) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) with fasting plasma glucose (FPG) in adolescents.

METHODS

This descriptive cross-sectional study included 403 adolescents (202 boys and 201 girls) aged 11-19 years. Participants were evaluated for VAI, CRF, and FPG. Regression models, adjusted for age and maturity status, were used to assess the associations between VAI, CRF, and FPG.

RESULTS

The prevalence of T2DM risk was 15.3% (girls = 7.4%; boys = 7.9%). In boys, high VAI was positively associated with FPG (β = 0.190, P = 0.009), while low CRF was negatively associated with FPG (β = -0.206, P = 0.010). These associations persisted even after adjusting for CRF and VAI. However, no significant associations between VAI, CRF, and FPG were observed in girls (P > 0.05). Adolescents with high VAI and low fitness levels demonstrated poorer glycemic profiles.

CONCLUSION

Among boys, both VAI and CRF were independently associated with T2DM risk, with CRF showing a stronger association. These associations were not observed in girls. Promoting regular aerobic exercise and healthy diets may serve as essential public health promotion strategies in preventing and managing T2DM risk in adolescents.

Keywords: Adolescents; Abdominal adiposity; Fitness; Metabolic health; Primary prevention

Core Tip: The recent global rise in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in children and adolescents has been linked partly with the universal increase in childhood obesity and physical inactivity. There is paucity of information on the association of visceral adiposity index and cardiorespiratory fitness with risk of T2DM in Nigerian adolescents. This study unveiled the independent and joint associations of visceral adiposity index and cardiorespiratory fitness with the risk of T2DM in boys but not girls. It was recommended that health-promoting strategies that focus on favorable blood glucose levels, including healthy eating and aerobic-type activities should be encouraged among adolescents.