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Physical activity and respiratory symptoms in children: the Generation R Study

Lisa M Driessen1, Jessica C Kiefte-de Jong, Vincent W V Jaddoe

  • 1The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Pediatric Pulmonology
|July 12, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Physical activity in early childhood does not appear to impact the development of common respiratory symptoms like wheezing or shortness of breath in preschool years. This finding suggests limited influence of early physical activity on later respiratory health outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Respiratory Medicine
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Investigating the link between early-life physical activity and subsequent respiratory health is crucial for understanding childhood development.
  • The pre-school period is a critical window for respiratory health development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the association between physical activity levels in the second year of life and the incidence of respiratory symptoms during the pre-school years.
  • To explore the relationship between different intensities of physical activity and respiratory symptom development.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective birth-cohort study (Generation R Study) in the Netherlands.
  • Objective measurement of physical activity using accelerometers in 347 children at mean age 25.1 months.
  • Standardized questionnaires (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood) assessed respiratory symptoms (wheezing, shortness of breath) at ages three and four years.

Main Results:

  • No statistically significant association was found between total physical activity levels in the second year of life and wheezing symptoms in the third and fourth years of life.
  • Similarly, physical activity levels did not show a significant association with shortness of breath symptoms in the pre-school period.
  • Odds ratios for wheezing and shortness of breath remained close to 1.0, with confidence intervals crossing the null value.

Conclusions:

  • Physical activity in the second year of life does not appear to be a significant determinant of common respiratory symptoms in pre-school children.
  • These findings suggest that early-life physical activity may not play a major role in the development of respiratory issues during early childhood.
  • Further research may explore other environmental or genetic factors influencing pre-school respiratory health.
Abstract

Keywords:
accelerometryinfantsphysical activityrespiratory symptomsshortness of breathwheezingyoung children

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