0000000000878750
AUTHOR
Taisa Venäläinen
Associations of dietary carbohydrate and fatty acid intakes with cognition among children
Objective: To investigate the cross-sectional associations of dietary carbohydrate and fatty acid intakes with cognition in mid-childhood. Design: Dietary carbohydrate and fatty acid intakes were assessed using 4-d food records, and cognition was evaluated using the Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM) score. The cross-sectional associations of dietary carbohydrate and fatty acid intakes with cognition were investigated using linear regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, body fat percentage, household income, parental education and daily energy intake. Setting: The baseline examinations of the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children study. Participants: A population-based sa…
Diet quality and academic achievement : A prospective study among primary school children
Purpose Poor diet quality may impair academic achievement in children, but such evidence is limited. Therefore, we investigated the associations of healthy diet in Grade 1 assessed by Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS), Baltic Sea Diet Score (BSDS), and Finnish Children Healthy Eating Index (FCHEI) with academic achievement in Grades 1–3 in children. Methods The participants were 161 Finnish children who were 6–8 years old in Grade 1 and attended in a large ongoing physical activity and dietary intervention study. Dietary factors were assessed using 4-day food records, and MDS, BSDS, and FCHEI were calculated. Academic achievement was assessed by reading fluency, reading comprehension, and arit…
Mediating effects of motor performance, cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, and sedentary behaviour on the associations of adiposity and other cardiometabolic risk factors with academic achievement in children
We investigated the associations of cardiometabolic risk factors with academic achievement and whether motor performance, cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, or sedentary behaviour mediated these associations. Altogether 175 children 6–8 years-of-age participated in the study. We assessed body fat percentage (BF%), waist circumference, insulin, glucose, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure, leptin, alanine aminotransferase, and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT). Reading fluency, reading comprehension, and arithmetic skills were assessed using standardized tests. Speed/agility, balance, and manual dexterity test results were used to calculate moto…
The effects of a 2-year individualized and family-based lifestyle intervention on physical activity, sedentary behavior and diet in children
To investigate the effects of a long-term, individualized and family-based lifestyle intervention on physical activity, sedentary behavior and diet quality in children.We carried out a 2-year intervention study in a population sample of 506 children aged 6-8years in Finland in 2007-2012. We allocated the participants at baseline in the intervention and control group. We assessed physical activity and sedentary behavior by questionnaires and diet by food records.Total physical activity (+9min/d in intervention group vs. -5min/d in control group, p=0.001 for time*group interaction), unsupervised physical activity (+7min/d vs. -9min/d, p0.001) and organized sports (+8min/d vs. +3min/d, p=0.001…
Associations of dietary carbohydrate and fatty acid intakes with cognition among children
AbstractObjective:To investigate the cross-sectional associations of dietary carbohydrate and fatty acid intakes with cognition in mid-childhood.Design:Dietary carbohydrate and fatty acid intakes were assessed using 4-d food records, and cognition was evaluated using the Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM) score. The cross-sectional associations of dietary carbohydrate and fatty acid intakes with cognition were investigated using linear regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, body fat percentage, household income, parental education and daily energy intake.Setting:The baseline examinations of the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children study.Participants:A population-based s…
Longitudinal Associations of Fitness, Motor Competence, and Adiposity with Cognition
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the longitudinal associations of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), motor competence (MC), and body fat percentage (BF%) with cognition in children. Methods: Altogether, 371 children (188 boys and 183 girls) 6–9 yr of age at baseline participated in this 2-yr follow-up study. We assessed CRF by maximal cycle ergometer test, computed the MC score from the z-scores of the 50-m shuttle run, static balance, and box and block test results, measured BF% by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and assessed cognition using the Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM) score. The associations were studied by linear regression analysis and repeated-…
The Effects of a 2-year Individualized and Family-based Lifestyle Intervention on Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior and Diet in Children
Objective To investigate the effects of a long-term, individualized and family-based lifestyle intervention on physical activity, sedentary behavior and diet quality in children. Methods We carried out a 2-year intervention study in a population sample of 506 children aged 6–8 years in Finland in 2007–2012. We allocated the participants at baseline in the intervention and control group. We assessed physical activity and sedentary behavior by questionnaires and diet by food records. Results Total physical activity (+ 9 min/d in intervention group vs. − 5 min/d in control group, p = 0.001 for time*group interaction), unsupervised physical activity (+ 7 min/d vs. − 9 min/d, p < 0.001) and orga…
Mediating effects of motor performance, cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, and sedentary behaviour on the associations of adiposity and other cardiometabolic risk factors with academic achievement in children
We investigated the associations of cardiometabolic risk factors with academic achievement and whether motor performance, cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, or sedentary behaviour mediated these associations. Altogether 175 children 6-8 years-of-age participated in the study. We assessed body fat percentage (BF%), waist circumference, insulin, glucose, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure, leptin, alanine aminotransferase, and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT). Reading fluency, reading comprehension, and arithmetic skills were assessed using standardized tests. Speed/agility, balance, and manual dexterity test results were used to calculate moto…
Plasma polyunsaturated fatty acids are directly associated with cognition in overweight children but not in normal weight children
Aim Polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential nutrients for the normal development of the brain. We investigated the associations between plasma polyunsaturated fatty acids and cognition in normal weight and overweight children. Methods The study recruited 386 normal weight children and 58 overweight children aged six to eight years and blood samples were drawn after a 12-hour fast. We assessed plasma polyunsaturated fatty acids using gas chromatography, cognition using Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices, and overweight and obesity using the age-specific and sex-specific cut-offs from the International Obesity Task Force. The data were analysed by linear regression analyses adjusted for …
Effect of a 2-y dietary and physical activity intervention on plasma fatty acid composition and estimated desaturase and elongase activities in children: the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children Study
Background: Evidence on the effects of lifestyle interventions on plasma fatty acid composition in children is limited. Objective: We investigated the effects of a dietary and physical activity intervention on plasma fatty acid composition of cholesteryl esters (CEs) and phospholipids and estimated desaturase and elongase activities in children. Design: We conducted a 2-y controlled dietary and physical activity intervention based on Finnish nutrition and physical activity recommendations in a population sample of 506 children aged 6–8 y. We assessed plasma fatty acid composition by gas chromatography and estimated desaturase and elongase activities as the ratio of product fatty acids to pr…