Laurent Béghin

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Lille

PURPOSE Physical activity measured by accelerometry (PA-accelerometry) is used as an indicator of disease severity in chronic diseases. Currently, only fragmented age ranges of reference percentile curves are available for European children. This study aimed to provide age- and sex-specific percentiles for physical activity measured by hip-worn acc...

Background Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a strong marker of current and future health. The aim of this study was to assess the national temporal trends in CRF for French children and adolescents between 1999 and 2022. Methods CRF data were obtained from several cross‐sectional studies on 15 420 (51.1% boys) French children and adolescents age...

The first 1000 days of life is a critical period that contributes significantly to the programming of an individual’s future health. Among the many changes that occur during this period early in life, there is growing evidence that the establishment of healthy gut microbiota plays an important role in the prevention of both short- and long-term hea...

The first 1000 days of life is a critical period that contributes significantly to the programming of an individual's future health. Among the many changes that occur during this period, there is growing evidence that the establishment of a healthy gut microbiota early in life plays an important role in the prevention of both short- and long-term h...

The results of recent studies suggested that emotional disorders (such as anxiety and depression), cognitive impairments and cardiovascular disorders are related on the subclinical level. These major health issues are often concomitant and have complex, sex-dependent relationships; it is therefore important to study these issues concomitantly in th...

Introduction From genome wide association study (GWAS) a large number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have previously been associated with blood pressure (BP) levels. A combination of SNPs, forming a genetic risk score (GRS) could be considered as a useful genetic tool to identify individuals at risk of developing hypertension from early...

Physical activity (PA) is recognized as a marker of health. The aim was to investigate PA differences from adolescence to young adulthood. European adolescents included in the HELENA study were invited to participate in a follow-up study, 10 years later. The present study included 141 adults (25.0 ± 1.4 years) for whom valid accelerometer data were...

Background: The main objective of this study was to assess the association between age and physical fitness and motor fitness components according to BMI levels, in men and women separately, and to test if this association is different between BMI levels. Methods: This cross-sectional study was based on a pre-existing database from the DiagnoHea...

Purpose Thinness in adolescence has not been studied as extensively as overweight or obesity. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence, characteristics, and health impacts of thinness in a European adolescent population. Methods This study included 2711 adolescents (1479 girls, 1232 boys). Blood pressure, physical fitness, sedentary beha...

Objectives: This study assessed the reliability and validity of the IMPACT-III questionnaire, a health-related quality of life (HRQoL) instrument, in French children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods: Eighty-four children and adolescents (45 boys, aged 14.3 ± 2.7 years) were included in a validation study of the IMPACT-III questionn...

Background and aims: Blood pressure (BP) changes and insulin resistance (IR) are important cardiometabolic risk (CMR) factors; their early identification can contribute to the reduction of cardiovascular events in adulthood. This necessitates the search for more accessible and easily applied indicators for their prediction. Therefore, this study a...

Objective To investigate the associations between portion sizes (PS) from different food groups and energy, nutrient intakes in European adolescents. Methods A sample of 1631 adolescents (54.2 % girls) were included from the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence Cross-Sectional (HELENA) study. Mean food PS was calculated by divid...

Objectives To develop and validate an easy-to-use screening tool for identifying adolescents at high-risk for insulin resistance (IR). Methods Α total of 1,053 adolescents (554 females), aged 12.5 to 17.5 years with complete data on glucose and insulin levels were included. Body mass index (BMI), fat mass index (FMI) and the homeostasis model asse...

Introduction: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disorder of the gastrointestinal tract, associated with adverse health consequences that may adversely influence physical activity and body composition in youth. These effects may lead to changes in physical fitness, which is positively associated with health-related outcomes. The aim is t...

Numerous studies reported a significant decline in physical activity level in adolescents as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown. Physical fitness is recognized as a powerful marker of health in youth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on health-related physical fitness in French adolescents. Two cross...

Background: Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have previously been associated with blood pressure (BP) levels, in adults and children. A combination of SNPs, forming a genetic risk score (GRS) could be considered as a useful genetic tool to identify individuals at risk of developing hypertension from early stages in life. Therefore, th...

Background Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with blood pressure (BP) levels. A combination of SNPs, forming a genetic risk score (GRS) could be considered a useful genetic tool to identify individuals at risk of developing hypertension from early stages in life. Therefore, the study aims to predict the genetic predispos...

The study purpose was to assess the impact of birth weight and breastfeeding duration on physical fitness components. Study participants were 985 adolescents boys and 1246 girls (12.5–17.5 years) participating in the HELENA study. Standardised physical fitness procedures included: cardio-respiratory fitness, flexibility, upper body muscular strengt...

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality worldwide. These diseases originate in childhood, and a better understanding of their early determinants and risk factors would allow better prevention. The BELINDA (BEtter LIfe by Nutrition During Adulthood) study is a 10–14-year follow-up of the HEalthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in...

Background and Aims This study aims to examine associations of food portion sizes (PS) with markers of insulin resistance (IR) and clustered of metabolic risk score in European adolescents. Methods 495 adolescents (53.5% females) from the HELENA study were included. The association between PS from food groups and HOMA-IR index, VO2 max, and metabo...

Background: The family environment influences food consumption and behaviours, which impact adolescent's eating habits, diet and health. Young individuals who frequently eat family meals are less likely to develop risk- and behaviour-related outcomes as obesity. Aim: To assess the relationship between the family meal environment and food and mac...

Background and aims (Poly)phenols might contribute to prevent cardiovascular disease, but limited prospective studies exist among adolescents. This study aimed to evaluate within-subject longitudinal changes in (poly)phenols intakes and food group contributors while also exploring the association with metabolic syndrome risk (MetS) during 10 years...

Introduction (contexte de la recherche) L’asthme aigu fait partie des motifs de consultations aux urgences pédiatriques les plus fréquents, responsable de nombreuses hospitalisations. Les variations des taux de polluants atmosphériques pourraient avoir un impact sur le déclenchement de ces épisodes. Objectif Décrire l’association entre les taux de...

Introduction et but de l’étude La condition physique est un marqueur de santé corrélé à la survenue de plusieurs maladies chroniques tout au long de la vie. L’influence de facteurs périnataux sur la condition physique peut être détectée dès l’adolescence. L’objectif de l’étude était d’évaluer l’effet du poids de naissance et de l’allaitement matern...

Introduction et but de l’étude La transition de l’adolescence à l’âge adulte comprend plusieurs changements majeurs, notamment l’indépendance, le statut scolaire et professionnel, les nouveaux centres d’intérêts et rôles sociaux. Elle est associée à une modification des habitudes de vie, notamment l’activité physique (AP) qui est un des déterminant...

Introduction et but de l’étude Les maladies cardiovasculaires constituent la première cause de mortalité à l’échelle européenne et mondiale. Leur développement débute tôt dans la vie, modulé par des profils alimentaires et d’activité physique qu’il est nécessaire d’identifier dès l’adolescence. L’étude BELINDA (Better Life by Nutrition During Adult...

Background: The association between high fructose consumption and elevated blood pressure continues to be controversial, especially in adolescence. The aim of this study was to assess the association between fructose consumption and elevated blood pressure in an European adolescent population. Methods: A total of 1733 adolescents (mean ± SD age:...

Introduction The first 1000 days of life could contribute to individual susceptibility to the later development of chronic non-communicable diseases. Nutrition in early life appears to be an important determinant factor for a sustainable child’s health. In this study, we propose to investigate the impact of exclusive breast feeding on gut health in...

We assessed the association between school time and physical fitness in adolescents. The study included 2,024 adolescents, aged 12.5-17.5 years, who participated in the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence study. Health-related physical fitness components were assessed using the physical fitness tests battery. Cardiovascular risk...

The aim of this study was to investigate the association of endothelial lipase gene (LIPG) polymorphisms with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in adolescents and their interaction with physical activity. Six polymorphisms of LIPG were genotyped in 1057 European adolescents (12–18 years old) enrolled in the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nu...

Introduction The first 1000 days of life could contribute to individual susceptibility to the later development of chronic non-communicable diseases. Nutrition in early life appears to be an important determinant factor for a sustainable child s health. In this study, we propose to investigate the impact of exclusive breastfeeding on gut health in...

Background Dietary misreporting is the main limitation of dietary assessments and has been associated with BMI during youth. However there are no prior studies assessing misreporting and cardiometabolic risks (CMRs) in adolescence. Objectives To examine the associations between dietary misreporting and CMR factors in adolescents and to assess the...

The aim of this study was to assess PA patterns among children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Sixty participants with IBD (42 Crohn’s disease [CD], 10 ulcerative colitis [UC], and 8 IBD—unclassified [IBD-U], 30 male patients) in remission (n = 45) or with mild disease (n = 15) were compared with 60 healthy age- and sex-match...

Obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are worldwide major health challenges. The Mediterranean diet (MD) is associated with a better cardiometabolic profile, but these beneficial effects may be influenced by genetic variations, modulating the predisposition to obesity or MetS. The aim was to assess whether interaction effects occur between an obesi...

Few studies have evaluated the association between dietary free sugars intake (FSI) and obesity in adolescents. We examined the relation between FSI and their contributors from the main food groups and obesity in European adolescents. We included 843 adolescents (51.6% male) from the cross-sectional HELENA study with two completed 24 h recalls and...

Background & Aims Microbiome-modulators can help positively steer early-life microbiota development but their effects on microbiome functionality and associated safety and tolerance need to be demonstrated. We investigated the microbiome impact of a new combination of bioactive compounds, produced by the food-grade microorganisms Bifidobacterium br...

Objectives: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are responsible of 31% of all deaths worldwide. Genetic predisposition to CVDs in adolescents remains largely unknown. Aims of present research are to examine the association of ADIPOQ gene polymorphisms with cardiovascular disease risk factors in European adolescents. Methods: A total of 14 polymorphis...

Background Preschool asthma/recurrent wheeze is a heterogeneous condition. Different clinical phenotypes have been described, including episodic viral wheeze (EVW), severe intermittent wheeze (SIW), and multiple‐trigger wheeze (MTW). Objective To compare clinical, viral, and inflammatory/immune profiling at exacerbation between MTW, SIW, and EVW p...

Background Screen media usage has become increasingly commonplace in daily life with children initiating themselves to screen media at an early age. Given the high prevalence of screen viewing among children worldwide, its impact on children's health has become a cause for concern. Unfortunately, little information on the independent association be...

Objectives To examine the association of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) polymorphisms with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in European adolescents, along with the influence of physical activity on these associations. Methods A total of 13 LPL polymorphisms were genotyped in 1.057 European adolescents (12‐18 years old) from the Healthy Lifestyl...

Objective: To examine the association between polymorphisms of the ciliary neurotrophic factor gene (CNTF) and total and central adiposity markers in adolescents. Study design: This cross-sectional study involved 1057 European adolescents aged 12-18 years enrolled in the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence Cross-Sectional Stu...

Despite improvement in asthma maintenance treatment, exacerbations remain important issues. They are markers of severe asthma but can also occur in mild asthma (1). Viruses, and mainly Rhinoviruses (RVs), are the main triggers, and they may interact with aeroallergen‐specific immunoinflammatory pathways in atopic patients (2,3). Some studies have s...

Background It has been shown that meteorological conditions and season affect physical activity (PA) during adolescence. Today, meteorological conditions have never been combined to study their influence on PA level in a single sample of a large adolescent multicountries population. The aim of this study was to explore the influence of meteorologic...

Despite the development of novel therapies, inflammatory bowel diseases remain an innovative treatment challenge. Helminth therapy is a new promising approach, and a key issue is the identification of helminth-derived anti-inflammatory mediators. P28 glutathione-S-transferase (P28GST), a protein derived from schistosomes, a trematode parasitic helm...

Background: We compared differences in physical activity (PA) between pre/mid-pubertal and post-pubertal participants according to gender. Methods: The study included a total of 1842 healthy participants aged 12.5-17.4 years, who participated in the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) study. Participants wore a uniax...

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify dietary patterns (DPs) in European adolescents and to examine the association between perceptions of healthy eating and the obtained DPs. Method: A multinational cross-sectional study was carried out in adolescents aged 12.5 to 17.5 years and 2,027 (44.9% males) were considered for analysis. A self-r...

Background & aims: Bone health is an important concern in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Low bone mineral density (BMD) is a powerful predictor of fracture risk in IBD patients. Physical activity (PA) plays an important role in bone health. However, PA data for children and adolescents with IBD are scarce. The primary aim is to ev...

Abstract Background Accelerometers are widely used to measure sedentary time and daily physical activity (PA). However, data collection and processing criteria, such as non-wear time rules might affect the assessment of total PA and sedentary time and the associations with health variables. The study aimed to investigate whether the choice of diffe...

Background/Objectives: To assess dietary patterns (DPs) in European adolescents and to examine their relationship with healthy eating determinants. Subject/Methods: A total of 2205 European adolescents, aged 12.5–17.5 years, were measured. A self-reported questionnaire was completed and dietary intake was measured by 24 h-dietary recalls. Principal...

Objectives To delineate the clustering of energy balance-related behaviors in adolescents and investigate whether these behaviors are associated with the household socioeconomic status and parental education level. Methods Two cross-sectional studies assessed information on sedentary behavior, physical activity, sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit...

Introduction et but de l’étude Le Nord-Pas de Calais est fortement touché par les maladies inflammatoires chroniques intestinales (MICI), avec une augmentation importante de son incidence chez l’enfant et l’adolescent au cours de ces 20 dernières années (Ghione et al., 2017). Les MICI chez l’enfant retentissent sur la densité minérale osseuse (DMO)...

Objective To examine the associations between adolescents’ diet quality and their perceived relatives’ and peers’ diet engagement and encouragement. Design Cross-sectional study performed in European countries. Diet quality was scored using the Diet Quality Index for Adolescents (DQI-A) based on four components: quality, diversity, balance and mea...

Background: Palmitate in breast milk is predominantly located in the triacylglycerol sn-2 position, while infant formulae contain palmitate predominantly in the sn-1 and sn-3 positions. During digestion, palmitate in the sn-1 and sn-3 positions is hydrolyzed to free palmitic acid that can subsequently complex with calcium to form insoluble soaps;...

PurposeTo examine the underlying reasons for the positive relation between socio-economic status (SES) and the diet quality of adolescents. Methods In 2081 adolescents (12.5–17.5 years) of the European HELENA study, a continuous variable on diet quality via 2-day 24-h recalls was available. SES was reflected by parental education, parental occupati...

Background This study aimed to investigate whether awareness of being monitored by an accelerometer has an effect on physical activity in young people. Methods Eighty healthy participants aged 10–18 years were randomized between blinded and nonblinded groups. The blinded participants were informed that we were testing the reliability of a new devi...

La physiopathologie de l’asthme du jeune enfant (< 5 ans), permettant notamment d’en comprendre l’hétérogénéité, reste mal connue. On sait que le terrain allergique et la sévérité des manifestations sont associés au risque de persistance chez le grand enfant et à l’âge adulte. Dans ce contexte, l’étude VIRASTHMA 2 a comme objectif principal de préc...

The aim of this study was to assess physical activity (PA) awareness of adolescents and to identify anthropometric and psychosocial factors that can lead to under or overestimation of PA. This study included 2044 adolescents. Participants wore a uniaxial accelerometer for 7 days to measure PA and completed a self-rated questionnaire about PA. Adole...

Conclusion: The different definitions do not classify the same adolescents as having MS and prevalence varied between diagnostic methods. The modified NCEP-ATP and the AHA definitions were most analogous in defining subjects as having metabolic syndrome or not. What is known? • Metabolic syndrome is not only a problem of adulthood but is already p...

Objective To determine the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity in French youth from 2009 to 2013 and to determine if there are differences in weight categories according to socio-economic status. Design Cross-sectional study performed in different regions of France. Physical measures included weight, height and BMI. Underweight, over...

Background & aims: The aim of this study was to assess the diet quality awareness and associated factors in a large sample of European adolescents. Methods: The study included 3389 healthy adolescents, aged 12.5-17.5 years, who participated in the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) Study. The adolescents' diet quali...

The aim of this study was to establish gender- and age-specific physical fitness percentiles in French youth. A sample of 11 186 children and adolescents (5 546 boys, 5 640 girls), ages 10-15 years, was assessed in the French national BOUGE study. Participants were tested on cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular endurance, speed, flexibility and agil...

The aim was to assess the relationship between school rhythm and physical activity (PA) in adolescents. The study included 2024 adolescents (12.5-17.4 years). Participants wore an accelerometer for 7 days. A short school rhythm was defined as a short time at school with short recesses and less time in teaching per day (Group 1). A long school rhyth...

BACKGROUND: A high level of physical fitness is associated with cardiovascular health in adolescents. The aims of this study were to assess the levels of physical fitness of French adolescents and to determine the prevalence of these adolescents below the minimum level of cardiorespiratory fitness needed to guarantee future favorable cardiovascula...

BACKGROUND A high level of physical fitness is associated with cardiovascular health in adolescents. The aims of this study were to assess the levels of physical fitness of French adolescents and to determine the prevalence of these adolescents below the minimum level of cardiorespiratory fitness needed to guarantee future favorable cardiovascular...

HELENA was a cross-sectional study carried out from 2006 to 2007 in more than 3500 adolescents aged from 12.5 to 17.5 years old through 10 Europeans towns from 9 countries. Its objective was to assess adolescent nutritional status including: body composition, biological markers, physical activity and fitness. This study shown the high impact of soc...