Issn Print: 0195-9131
Publication Date: 2001/05/01
ANNUAL AND SEASONAL VARIATIONS IN BODY MASS AND BEHAVIORAL PREDICTORS OF CHANGE
C E. Matthews; J R. Hebert; P S. Freedson; E J. Stanek; P A. Merriam; I S. Ockene
+ Author Information
Author Information: Univ. South Carolina & Massachusetts, Cola, SC & Worcester, MA
Excerpt
We quantified the annual and seasonal variations in body mass (BM) and examined the effects of changes in physical activity (PA) and diet on changes in BM in the Seasonal Variation of Cholesterol Study (N = 577; 52% men; age = 48 ± 12.3 yrs; body mass index = 27.4 ± 5.4 kg/m2 [mean ± SD]). Observational measures of BM (kg), PA, and diet were obtained at baseline and every 3 months for 1 year. Three 24-hour recalls of PA and diet were obtained at each of the 5 assessment points to estimate PA energy expenditure (MET-hrs/d) and dietary intake. Median annual changes in BM were 0.45 kg in men and 0.00 kg in women. Trigonometric models quantified winter increases in BM of 0.55 kg (0.24–0.85) in men and 0.38 kg (0.08–0.69) in women, relative to summer (amplitude [95%CI]). Random effects models were used to quantify the slope of the relationship between changes in PA and diet and change in BM. Among men, PA was not associated with change in BM (p > 0.25) but increased fat intake was associated with BM gain (p = 0.03). Among women, increases in leisure-time PA were associated with reductions in BM (p = 0.03) and increasing fat intake was associated with BM gain (p = 0.01). In conclusion, these data demonstrate that naturally occurring changes in physical activity and dietary fat intake influence changes in the BM levels of adults. These findings support continued public health efforts to minimize adult BM gain by intervening on each of these important health behaviors.
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