Early life determinants of physical activity in 11 to 12 year olds: cohort study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Physical Activity Research
• Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

• Childhood physical activity is crucial for long-term health.
• Understanding early life predictors of physical activity is essential for developing effective interventions.
• Previous research has explored various factors, but early life influences require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify early life factors (up to age 5) associated with objectively measured physical activity in 11-12 year olds.
• To investigate the relationship between parental activity during pregnancy and early childhood and later child activity levels.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study design was employed using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) in the UK.
• Objective physical activity was measured in 5451 children aged 11-12 years using uniaxial actigraph accelerometers over seven days.
• Factors assessed included maternal physical activity during pregnancy (walking, swimming), parental activity at 21 months postpartum, and parity.

Main Results:

• Maternal swimming during pregnancy and parental physical activity at 21 months were significantly associated with higher physical activity levels in children at 11-12 years.
• Maternal brisk walking during pregnancy and parity also showed associations, though less pronounced.
• A modest association was observed between parental activity and child's physical activity, indicating active parents tend to have active children.

Conclusions:

• Few early life factors strongly predict physical activity in preadolescence.
• Parental physical activity during pregnancy and early childhood demonstrates a modest, positive association with children's later activity levels.
• Interventions aimed at increasing parental physical activity may be a viable strategy to promote physical activity in children.