Publications by authors named "Nils Abel Aars"
Background: The Saltin-Grimby Physical Activity Level Scale (SGPALS) is commonly used to measure physical activity (PA) in population studies, but its validity in adolescents is unknown. This study aimed to assess the criterion validity of the SGPALS against accelerometry in a large sample of adolescents. A secondary aim was to examine the validity across strata of sex, body mass index (BMI), parental educational level, study program and self-reported health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To examine whether occupational physical activity changes predict future body mass index (BMI) changes.
Methods: This longitudinal cohort study included adult participants attending ≥3 consecutive Tromsø Study surveys (examinations 1, 2 and 3) from 1974 to 2016 (N=11 308). If a participant attended >3 surveys, the three most recent surveys were included.
Objectives: Physical activity may be important in deterring the obesity epidemic. This study aimed to determine whether objectively measured physical activity in first year of upper secondary high school predicted changes in body composition over 2 years of follow-up in a cohort of Norwegian adolescents (n=431).
Design: A longitudinal study of adolescents (mean age of 16 (SD 0.
Background: It is not clear how physical activity affects body composition in adolescents. Physical activity levels are often reduced during this period, and the relative proportion of body fat mass and lean mass undergo natural changes in growing adolescents. We aimed to examine whether self-reported physical activity in leisure time at baseline or change in activity during follow-up affect changes in four measures of body composition; body mass index (kg/m), waist circumference, fat mass index (fat mass in kg/m) and lean mass index (lean mass in kg/m).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: We studied the cross-sectional association between self-reported physical activity and body composition in adolescents.
Methods: The Norwegian Fit Futures Cohort Study was conducted in the Tromsø and Balsfjord municipalities during 2010-2011. All 1,117 students in their first year of upper secondary high school were invited to attend an examination at the Clinical Research Unit at the University Hospital of Northern Norway and 93% agreed.
Background: Abdominal obesity increases all-cause mortality and is a risk factor for a number of diseases. There are few population-based studies of the longitudinal changes of abdominal obesity.
Methods: Based on data from the Tromsø Study, we studied gender- and age-specific mean waist circumference and prevalence of abdominal overweight and abdominal obesity in two surveys in 1994-1995 (Tromsø 4, 6812 men and women aged 25 to 84) and 2007-2008 (Tromsø 6, 12,493 men and women aged 30 to 87).
Background: Overweight individuals desire a lower weight than they actually have. Little is known on the extent to which this discrepancy is reduced over time due to adaptation or resignation. The aim of this study is to describe cross-sectional relationships and longitudinal changes in desired body weight and differences between actual and desired body weight according to gender, age and category of body mass index in a large, adult cohort in Tromsø, Norway.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To determine the mean body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2)) and prevalence of low weight (BMI<20) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30) in 3 population-based surveys, and to describe the longitudinal changes during 1994-2008 in mean BMI, and the prevalence of low weight and obesity.
Setting: A population study in Tromsø, Norway.
Participants: A total of 29,688 different participants in 1 or more of 3 surveys (1994-1995, 2001-2002 and 2007-2008).