Abstract

Background

Sports practice in childhood and adolescence has been inversely related to the chances of developing cardiovascular risk factors (CRFs). However, it is not clear whether sports practice in childhood and adolescence could be inversely related to CRF in adult life.

Objectives

This study aimed to analyze the association between early sports practice and cardiovascular risk factors in a randomized sample of community-dwelling adults.

Methods

For this, 265 adults aged ≥ 18 years composed the sample. Cardiovascular risk factors of obesity, central obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension were collected. Early sports practice was retrospectively self-reported using an appropriate instrument. Total physical activity level was assessed by accelerometry. The association between early sports practice and cardiovascular risk factors in adulthood was analyzed by binary logistic regression, adjusted for sex, age, socioeconomic status, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

Results

Early sports practice was observed in 56.2% of the sample. The prevalence of central obesity (31.5 vs. 50.0%; p = 0.003), diabetes (4.7% vs. 13.7%; p = 0.014), dyslipidemia (10.7% vs. 24.1%; p = 0.005), and hypertension (14.1% vs. 34.5%; p = 0.001) was lower in participants who reported early sports practice. Participants who reported early sports practice in childhood and adolescence were, respectively, 60% (OR = 0.40; 95% CI 0.19–0.82) and 59% (OR = 0.41; 95% CI 0.21–0.82) less likely to have hypertension in adult life when compared to those with no early sports practice, independently of sex, age, socioeconomic status, and habitual physical activity level in adulthood.

Conclusion

Early sports practice in childhood and adolescence was a protective factor for hypertension in adulthood.

Key Points

Sports practice has a protective effect against cardiovascular risk in children and adolescents.

The prevalence of central obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia and hypertension was lower in participants who reported early sports practice.

Early sports practice was a protective factor against hypertension in adult life, independent of current physical activity level.

Details

Title
Association of Early Sports Practice with Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Community-Dwelling Adults: A Retrospective Epidemiological Study
Author
da Silva, Gabriela C. R. 1 ; Tebar, William R. 1 ; Saraiva, Bruna T. C. 1 ; Farah, Breno Q. 2 ; Vanderlei, Luiz Carlos M. 1 ; Ferrari, Gerson 3 ; Christofaro, Diego Giulliano Destro 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

1  São Paulo State University (UNESP), Department of Physical Education, School of Technology and Sciences, Presidente Prudente, Brazil (GRID:grid.410543.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 2188 478X) 
2  Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRP), Recife, Brazil (GRID:grid.411177.5) (ISNI:0000 0001 2111 0565) 
3  Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Faculty of Health Sciences, Providencia, Chile (GRID:grid.441837.d) (ISNI:0000 0001 0765 9762) 
Pages
15
Publication year
2023
Publication date
Dec 2023
Publisher
Springer Nature B.V.
ISSN
21991170
e-ISSN
21989761
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-023-00562-y
ProQuest document ID
2778490273
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2023. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.