Longitudinal relationships between lifestyle and cardiovascular and bone health status indicators in males and females between 13 and 27 years of age; a review of findings from the Amsterdam Growth and Health Longitudinal Study

The Amsterdam Growth and Health Longitudinal Study is longitudinal co-hort study on 181 males and females initially aged 13 years, with follow-up measurements at ages 14, 15, 16, 21 and 27 years. Methods: Anthropometrical, biological and lifestyle parameters, and age 27 also bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine (L2–L4), were measured repeatedly. Adolescent dietary intake and physical activity was related to adult cardiovascular and bone health status indicators by MLR; longitudinal relationships between physical activity and dietary intake, and cardiovascular health status indicators were assessed by GEE-analysis. Results: Adolescent physical activity was not related to most of the indicators of adult cardiovascular health status, with the exception of a positive relationship with the waist-to-hip in females; in males ‘energetic’ adolescent physical activity contributed significantly to adult BMD; both in males and females, when taking the entire longitudinal period into account, peak strain physical activity was a relatively more important predictor of adult BMD than ‘energetic’ physical activity; calcium intake during adolescence was not a significant predictor of bone health status measured at age 27, both in males and females; a consistent significant positive longitudinal relationship was found between physical activity and serum HDL-cholesterol and significant negative longitudinal relationships were found with the subscapular skinfold and with body fat mass; a positive longitudinal relationship was found between serum total cholesterol (TC) and cholesterol intake, saturated fat (SFA) intake and the Keys-score; a negative longitudinal relationship was found between TC and polyunsaturated fat and total energy intake; for HDL a positive longitudinal relationship was found with SFA intake; low tracking was found for physical (in-) activity and dietary intake variables.