The Positive Relationship between Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity and Bone Mineral Content Is Not Mediated by Free Leptin Index in Prepubertal Children: The PANIC Study

Annie M. Constable, Josie E. Porter, Danielle Benger, Dimitris Vlachopoulos, Alan R. Barker, Sarah A. Moore, Sonja Soininen, Eero A. Haapala, Kate Westgate, Soren Brage, Ricardo R. Agostinete, Romulo A. Fernandes and Timo A. Lakka
Additional contact information
Annie M. Constable: Children’s Health and Exercise Research Centre, Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 1TX, UK
Josie E. Porter: Children’s Health and Exercise Research Centre, Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 1TX, UK
Danielle Benger: Children’s Health and Exercise Research Centre, Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 1TX, UK
Dimitris Vlachopoulos: Children’s Health and Exercise Research Centre, Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 1TX, UK
Alan R. Barker: Children’s Health and Exercise Research Centre, Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 1TX, UK
Sarah A. Moore: School of Health and Human Performance, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
Sonja Soininen: Institute of Biomedicine, Kuopio Campus, University of Eastern Finland, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
Eero A. Haapala: Institute of Biomedicine, Kuopio Campus, University of Eastern Finland, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
Kate Westgate: MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge CB2 0SL, UK
Soren Brage: MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge CB2 0SL, UK
Ricardo R. Agostinete: Laboratory of InVestigation in Exercise (LIVE), Department of Physical Education, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Presidente Prudente 19060-900, Brazil
Romulo A. Fernandes: Laboratory of InVestigation in Exercise (LIVE), Department of Physical Education, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Presidente Prudente 19060-900, Brazil
Timo A. Lakka: Institute of Biomedicine, Kuopio Campus, University of Eastern Finland, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 10, 1-13

Abstract: Purpose: Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) positively influences bone mineral content (BMC) in prepubertal children, but it is unknown whether this relationship is partially mediated by free leptin index. The aim of this study was to examine whether the relationship between MVPA and total body less head (TBLH) BMC is mediated or moderated by free leptin index in prepubertal children. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis on 401 children (194 girls) from baseline examinations of the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Childhood Study. We applied the four-way decomposition mediation analysis method to assess whether free leptin index, measured from fasted blood samples, mediated the relationship between accelerometer-measured MVPA and TBLH BMC measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Results: MVPA had a positive controlled direct effect on TBLH BMC in girls and boys (? = 0.010 to 0.011, p < 0.05). There was no mediation or interaction between MVPA, free leptin index and TBLH BMC in girls or boys (? = ?0.000 to 0.001, p > 0.05). Conclusion: Our study indicates that MVPA positively influences TBLH BMC through pathways not related to free leptin index in predominantly normal-weight prepubertal children, likely primarily through mechanical loading. The relationships between MVPA, free leptin index and TBLH BMC may be influenced by other factors such as pubertal status and adiposity, so it is unknown whether these observations extend to overweight and obese children at different stages of puberty.

Keywords: prepubertal age; free leptin index; accelerometery; bone mass; childhood; DXA; growth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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