Body Composition Changes and Their Associations with Physical Activity and Screen Time in a Sample of Italian Early Adolescents over a 3-Year Period.

ABSTRACT:

Background

A sedentary lifestyle contributes to chronic disease risk in adults and may predict unfavourable body composition in adolescents. Declining physical activity and rising sedentary behaviour are linked to increasing global obesity rates. Given the scarcity of longitudinal studies examining how participation in organized sports and screen device use relate to body composition in early adolescence, this study aims to address this gap by analyzing temporal trends in both sexes.

Methods

A sample of 158 Italian students, 38% of whom were female, was followed longitudinally from ages 11 to 13. Annual anthropometric assessments were conducted, and self-reported data on screen time and organised sports participation were collected. Fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), fat ma

SUBMITTER: Gualdi-Russo E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12839566 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature