| Boys | Girls | ||||||
| Less active | More active | p Value | Less active | More active | p Value | ||
| n (%) | 56 (50%) | 57 (50%) | – | 50 (51%) | 49 (49%) | – | |
| Age at 5-year visit (years) | 4.88 (4.82 to 4.95) | 4.96 (4.89 to 5.03) | 0.11 | 4.89 (4.82 to 4.95) | 4.97 (4.88 to 5.06) | 0.13 | |
| Follow-up 5–8-year visits (years) | 2.92 (2.90 to 2.94) | 2.91 (2.89 to 2.93) | 0.37 | 2.91 (2.89 to 2.93) | 2.93 (2.91 to 2.94) | 0.15 | |
| Changes in body mass and | |||||||
| fatness (8 years−5 years) | |||||||
| BMI (kg/m2) | 0.5 (0.2 to 0.9) | 0.6 (0.3 to 0.9) | 0.77 | 1.0 (0.5 to 1.5) | 1.0 (0.5 to 1.5) | 0.98 | |
| BMI SDS | 0.09 (−0.08 to 0.26) | 0.13 (−0.03 to 0.30) | 0.70 | 0.03 (−0.16 to 0.23) | 0.05 (−0.15 to 0.24) | 0.93 | |
| Sum of five skinfolds (cm) | 1.0 (0.4 to 1.5) | 0.7 (0.1 to 1.3) | 0.54 | 1.9 (1.3 to 2.4) | 1.8 (1.0 to 2.3) | 0.50 | |
| Waist (cm) | 5.6 (4.8 to 6.4) | 5.2 (4.4 to 6.0) | 0.47 | 6.5 (5.3 to 7.6) | 5.9 (4.8 to 7.1) | 0.50 | |
| Changes in metabolic status | |||||||
| (8 years−5 years) | |||||||
| Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) | −0.12 (−0.19 to −0.05) | −0.13 (−0.20 to −0.06) | 0.84 | −0.15 (−0.24 to −0.05) | −0.30 (−0.40 to −0.20) | 0.03 | |
| Triglycerides (mmol/l) | 0.03 (−0.04 to 0.09) | −0.02 (−0.08 to 0.04) | 0.27 | 0.03 (−0.07 to 0.14) | −0.13 (−0.28 to −0.03) | 0.04 | |
| Cholesterol/HDL ratio | −0.35 (−0.47 to −0.24) | −0.43 (−0.50 to −0.29) | 0.63 | −0.31 (−0.46 to −0.17) | −0.37 (−0.51 to −0.22) | 0.61 | |
| Mean arterial blood pressure | 3.1 (1.9 to 4.3) | 1.3 (0.2 to 2.5) | 0.03 | 3.4 (1.9 to 4.9) | 2.9 (1.4 to 4.5) | 0.66 | |
| (mm Hg) | |||||||
| Metabolic status* (mean | 0.14 (−0.01 to 0.28) | −0.10 (−0.23 to 0.04) | 0.02 | 0.05 (−0.11 to 0.21) | −0.17 (−0.34 to −0.01) | 0.06 | |
| z score) | |||||||
*Internally derived time point specific z scores were calculated for each of the four metabolic variables and averaged to create a composite metabolic z score for each child.
Less (more) active group = below (above) the gender-specific median min/day at ⩾3 METs based on the average of four annual time points. All body mass, fatness and metabolic comparisons controlled for age, time to follow-up and respective baseline measurements. Physical activity data adjusted for seasonality and accelerometer sensitivity. BMI, body mass index; HDL, high density lipoprotein; MET, metabolic equivalent of thermogenesis; SDS, standard deviation scores.