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Daytime physical activity levels in school-age children with and without asthma

Shao-Yu Tsai1, Teresa Ward, Martha J Lentz

  • 1College of Medicine, Department of Nursing, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, China.

Nursing Research
|May 18, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Asthma in children does not directly impact physical activity (PA) levels, but it is linked to reduced moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) when considering body mass index (BMI). Further research is needed on obesity and functional impairment.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Respiratory Medicine
  • Exercise Physiology

Background:

  • Physical activity (PA) is crucial for children's health, yet objective PA measures in those with chronic conditions are inconsistent.
  • The relationship between asthma and children's PA levels remains unclear.
  • Actigraphy offers an objective method to assess PA during daily routines.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare daytime PA in children with and without asthma.
  • To investigate the interplay of asthma, PA, BMI, and symptom reports.
  • To objectively measure PA using actigraphy.

Main Methods:

  • Actigraphy and self-reported symptoms were collected over 7 days in 54 children (9-11 years) with and without asthma.
  • Assessed variables included mean/peak daytime activity, sedentary time, light, moderate, vigorous, and total moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA).
  • Controlled for gender, BMI, and symptom reports in multivariate analyses.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences in BMI or overall activity levels were found between groups.
  • Children with asthma reported greater activity limitations due to breathing issues.
  • Asthma predicted reduced mean, peak, and total MVPA, particularly when interacting with BMI.

Conclusions:

  • The association between asthma, PA, and BMI is complex.
  • Reduced PA, respiratory symptoms, childhood obesity, and functional impairment warrant further investigation.
  • Future studies should explore these interconnected factors in pediatric asthma.
Abstract

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