Background: Identifying at-risk children with optimal specificity and sensitivity to allow for the appropriate intervention strategies to be implemented is crucial to improving the health and well-being of children. We determined relationships of body mass indexes for age and sex percentile (BMI%) classifications to actual body composition using validated and convenient methodologies and compared fat and non-fat mass estimates to normative cut-off reference values to determine guideline reliability. We hypothesized that we would achieve an improved ability to identify at-risk children using simple, non-invasive body composition and index measures.Methods: Cross-sectional study of a volunteer convenience sample of 1,064 (537 boys) young children comparing Body Fat Percentage (BF%), Fat Mass Index (FMI), Fat-Free Mass Index (FFMI), determined via rapid bioimpedance methods vs. BMI% in children. Comparisons determined among weight classifications and boys vs. girls.Results: Amongst all subjects BMI% was generally correlated to body composition measures and indexes but nearly one quarter of children in the low-risk classifications (healthy weight or overweight BMI%) had higher BF% and/or lower FFMI than recommended standards. Substantial evidence of higher than expected fatness and or sarcopenia was found relative to risk status. Inaccuracies were more common in girls than boys and girls were found to have consistently higher BF% at any BMI%.Conclusions: The population studied raises concerns regarding actual risks for children of healthy or overweight categorized BMI% since many had higher than expected BF% and potential sarcopenia. When body composition and FMI and FFMI are used in conjunction with BMI% improved sensitivity, and accuracy of identifying children who may benefit from appropriate interventions results. These additional measures could help guide clinical decision making in settings of disease-risks stratifications and interventions.

Circadian rhythms are ≈24 h oscillations in physiology and behavior, and disruptions have been shown to have negative effects on health. Wrist skin temperature has been used by several groups as a valid method of assessing circadian rhythms in humans. We tested the hypothesis that circadian temperature amplitude (TempAmp) and stability (TempStab) would significantly differ among groups of healthy young men of varying adiposities, and that we could identify physiological and behavioral measures that were significantly associated with these temperature parameters. Wrist skin temperatures taken at 10 min intervals for 7 consecutive days were determined in 18 optimal (OGroup), 20 fair (FGroup) and 21 poor (PGroup) %Fat grouped young men and subsequently analyzed using available validated software. Body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, actigraphy, daily nutritional and sleep data, and fasting lipid, insulin and glucose concentration measures were also determined. Significant changes in TempAmp and TempStab parameters in subjects with a single metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk factor compared to those with no MetS factors was observed. In addition, stepwise multivariate regression analyses showed that 50% of the variance in TempAmp was explained by actigraphy (mean steps taken per day; MSTPD), cardiorespiratory fitness, and late night eating per week (#LNE); and 57% in TempStab by MSTPD, time spent in moderate-to-vigorous activity per day, fat mass, and #LNE. Overwhelmingly, physical activity was the most important measure associated with the differences in circadian rhythm parameters. Further research is warranted to determine the effects of increasing the amount and timing of physical activity on the status of the circadian system in a variety of populations.

Background: Compare arterial stiffness among law enforcement officers (LEOs) versus general population normative values and identify predictors of arterial stiffness in LEOs. Methods: Seventy male LEOs (age: 24–54 years) completed body composition, blood pressures, physical activity level, and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) measurements. T-tests and regression analyses were utilized to compare LEO data to normative data and predict cfPWV, respectively. Results: Compared to similar age strata within the general population, cfPWV was lower among LEO’s under 30-years (mean difference = −0.6 m·s⁻¹), but higher among LEOs 50–55-years (mean difference = 1.1 m·s⁻¹). Utilizing regression, age, relative body fat, and diastolic blood pressure explained the greatest variance in LEO’s cfPWV (adj. R² = 0.56, p < 0.001). Conclusion: This investigation demonstrated that arterial stiffness may progress more rapidly in LEOs and LEOs’ relative body fat and blood pressure may primarily affect arterial stiffness and risk of CVD.

Farmers may be at a higher risk of developing hip osteoarthritis (OA) due to the high demands of their occupation. To the authors' knowledge, the gait patterns of farmers that may be associated with hip joint degeneration have yet to be analyzed. Therefore, this study compares gait mechanics between farmers and non-farmers (controls). It is hypothesized that farmers would exhibit altered lower extremity joint mechanics during walking when compared to matched controls. This exploratory study included five farmers and five sex-, age-, and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls. A 3D gait analysis was performed while study participants walked at a self-selected speed on an instrumented treadmill. Sagittal plane hip, knee, and ankle kinetics and kinematics were assessed. Effect sizes and between-group differences in demographics and gait mechanics were assessed. There were no group differences in walking speed, total stance time as well as hip and knee joint kinematics (p > 0.05). Farmers exhibited statistical trends (p = 0.07-0.08) of lower peak ankle plantarflexion angles, higher plantarflexor moments, higher knee flexion moment impulse, and higher peak vertical ground reaction force during the first and second halves of stance. Additionally, farmers ambulated with a significantly higher knee extensor moment (p = 0.04) and moment impulse (p = 0.05) during the first half of stance and a higher ankle plantarflexion moment impulse (p = 0.04). The results demonstrate a multi-joint gait alteration in farmers compared to non-farmers and may suggest a compensatory gait pattern to optimize hip joint mechanics and mitigate hip joint degeneration. These results provide a preliminary understanding of the impact that agricultural occupations have on joint mechanics that may be associated with the increased prevalence of hip OA in the farming population.