Number of steps per day and the screening of cardiovascular disease risk factors in adolescents

摘要

Method: 1,045 adolescents (51.7 % girls) aged 11-17 were randomly selected. The number of steps/day was measured using pedometers. The risk factors considered were total cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, skinfold thickness and body mass index. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was used to analyze data. Results: ROC curve results indicated that the number of steps/day was able to predict increased systolic blood pressure in boys (<16,134 steps/day; p=0.006), increased diastolic blood pressure in girls (<12,399 steps/day; p=0.023) and increased total cholesterol in both sexes (<11,788 steps/day for boys; p=0.016 and < 9,400 steps/day for girls; p=0.001). Conclusion: It is possible to identify adolescents that are more likely to have increased total cholesterol and blood pressure by the number of steps/day.