PMID- 37130573 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20230504 LR - 20230504 IS - 1646-0758 (Electronic) IS - 0870-399X (Linking) VI - 36 IP - 5 DP - 2023 May 2 TI - The Influence of Obesity in the Autonomic Nervous System Activity in School-Aged Children in Northern Portugal: A Cross-Sectional Study. PG - 317-325 LID - 10.20344/amp.17144 [doi] AB - INTRODUCTION: Obesity is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in childhood, being an important public health issue. Excessive weight has been associated with autonomic dysfunction but the evidence in children is scarce. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of overweight and obesity on the autonomic nervous system activity, in children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data from a cross-sectional study of 1602 children, aged 7 to 12 years, was used and 858 children were included in the analysis. Body mass index was calculated and classified according to criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF). Body composition was characterized by bioelectrical impedance. Linear regression models were used to determine the association between body mass index, body composition and the autonomic nervous system activity, assessed by pupillometry. RESULTS: Average dilation velocity was higher among children with obesity, according to the CDC and percentage of body fat criteria (beta = 0.053, 95% CI = 0.005 to 0.101 and beta = 0.063, 95% CI = 0.016 to 0.109, respectively). The same trend was observed for WHO and IOTF criteria (beta = 0.045, 95% CI = -0.001 to 0.091, and beta = 0.055, 95% CI = -0.001 to 0.111, respectively). CDC and WHO body mass index z-scores were also positively associated with the values of average dilation velocity (rs = 0.030, p = 0.048; and rs = 0.027, p = 0.042, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest an association between body mass and changes in the autonomic activity, Moreover, this study provides proof of concept for interventions targeting the prevention/treatment of obesity in children that may offer some benefit in re-establishing the balance of the autonomic nervous system, and subsequently preventing the consequences associated with the autonomic nervous system dysfunction. FAU - Goncalves Teixeira, Beatriz AU - Goncalves Teixeira B AD - Faculdade de Ciencias da Nutricao e Alimentacao. Universidade do Porto. Porto. Portugal. FAU - Paciencia, Ines AU - Paciencia I AD - Servico de Imunologia Basica e Clinica. Departamento de Patologia. Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto. Centro Hospitalar Universitario de Sao Joao. Porto; EPIUnit. Instituto de Saude Publica. Universidade do Porto. Porto; Laboratorio para a Investigacao Integrativa e Translacional em Saude Populacional (ITR). Porto. Portugal. FAU - Cavaleiro Rufo, Joao AU - Cavaleiro Rufo J AD - Servico de Imunologia Basica e Clinica. Departamento de Patologia. Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto. Centro Hospitalar Universitario de Sao Joao. Porto; EPIUnit. Instituto de Saude Publica. Universidade do Porto. Porto; Laboratorio para a Investigacao Integrativa e Translacional em Saude Populacional (ITR). Porto. Portugal. FAU - Mendes, Francisca AU - Mendes F AD - Servico de Imunologia Basica e Clinica. Departamento de Patologia. Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto. Centro Hospitalar Universitario de Sao Joao. Porto; EPIUnit. Instituto de Saude Publica. Universidade do Porto. Porto; Laboratorio para a Investigacao Integrativa e Translacional em Saude Populacional (ITR). Porto. Portugal. FAU - Farraia, Mariana AU - Farraia M AD - Servico de Imunologia Basica e Clinica. Departamento de Patologia. Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto. Centro Hospitalar Universitario de Sao Joao. Porto; EPIUnit. Instituto de Saude Publica. Universidade do Porto. Porto; Laboratorio para a Investigacao Integrativa e Translacional em Saude Populacional (ITR). Porto. Portugal. FAU - Padrao, Patricia AU - Padrao P AD - Faculdade de Ciencias da Nutricao e Alimentacao. Universidade do Porto. Porto; EPIUnit. Instituto de Saude Publica. Universidade do Porto. Porto; Laboratorio para a Investigacao Integrativa e Translacional em Saude Populacional (ITR). Porto. Portugal. FAU - Moreira, Pedro AU - Moreira P AD - Faculdade de Ciencias da Nutricao e Alimentacao. Universidade do Porto. Porto; EPIUnit. Instituto de Saude Publica. Universidade do Porto. Porto; Laboratorio para a Investigacao Integrativa e Translacional em Saude Populacional (ITR). Porto. Portugal. FAU - Moreira, Andre AU - Moreira A AD - Servico de Imunologia Basica e Clinica. Departamento de Patologia. Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto. Centro Hospitalar Universitario de Sao Joao. Porto; EPIUnit. Instituto de Saude Publica. Universidade do Porto. Porto; Laboratorio para a Investigacao Integrativa e Translacional em Saude Populacional (ITR). Porto. Portugal. LA - eng PT - Journal Article DEP - 20230502 PL - Portugal TA - Acta Med Port JT - Acta medica portuguesa JID - 7906803 SB - IM MH - Humans MH - Child MH - *Pediatric Obesity/complications MH - Cross-Sectional Studies MH - Portugal MH - Prevalence MH - Body Mass Index MH - Overweight MH - Autonomic Nervous System OTO - NOTNLM OT - Autonomic Nervous System/physiopathology OT - Child OT - Obesity/physiopathology OT - Pediatric Obesity OT - Portugal EDAT- 2023/05/03 00:41 MHDA- 2023/05/04 12:41 CRDT- 2023/05/02 19:22 PHST- 2021/09/10 00:00 [received] PHST- 2022/09/19 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2023/05/04 12:41 [medline] PHST- 2023/05/03 00:41 [pubmed] PHST- 2023/05/02 19:22 [entrez] AID - 10.20344/amp.17144 [doi] PST - ppublish SO - Acta Med Port. 2023 May 2;36(5):317-325. doi: 10.20344/amp.17144. Epub 2023 May 2.