Association of Concurrent Healthy Eating and Regular Physical Activity with Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in U.S. Youth

Abstract

Purpose. Examine whether concurrently consuming a healthy diet and regularly being physically active among U.S. youth is more favorably associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) biomarkers than other physical activity and dietary patterns. Design. Cross-sectional. Setting. United States (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) 2003–2006. Subjects. Two thousand six hundred twenty-nine youth (6–17 years). Measures. Healthy Eating Index (HEI), accelerometer-determined physical activity, biomarkers, and anthropometry. Four categories were created: consuming a healthy diet (top 40% of HEI) and active (sufficient to meet guidelines); unhealthy diet and active; healthy diet and inactive; and unhealthy diet and inactive. Analysis. Multivariable regression. Results. Children consuming a healthy diet and who were active had significantly lower waist circumference (β = −5.5, p < .006), C-reactive protein (CRP) (β = –.2, p < .006), and triglycerides (β = −27.9, p < .006) than children consuming an unhealthy diet and who were inactive. Children engaging in both healthy behaviors had significantly lower CRP (β = –.11, p < .001) and total cholesterol levels (β = −7.8, p = .004) than those only engaging in sufficient activity; there were no significant differences in biomarker levels among children engaging in both healthy behaviors and those only consuming a healthy diet. No associations were significant for adolescents. Conclusion. Concurrent healthy eating and regular physical activity among children is favorably associated with CVD biomarkers when compared with unhealthy diet and inactivity.