Physical Activity Patterns in Children and Adolescents With Heart Disease

Area of Science:

• Pediatric cardiology
• Exercise physiology
• Public health

Background:

• Understanding physical activity (PA) in children with heart disease (HD) is crucial for their overall health and development.
• Previous research has indicated potential differences in activity levels, but detailed patterns and intensity-specific volumes require further quantification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify differences in daily physical activity (PA) patterns, intensity-specific volumes, and PA bouts in youth with and without heart disease (HD).

Main Methods:

• Seven-day PA monitoring using accelerometry in children/adolescents with HD (n=34) and controls (n=22).
• PA classified into sedentary, light, and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) categories based on mean counts per minute.
• Analysis included hourly PA patterns, bout durations, and statistical comparison using multilevel linear mixed modeling.

Main Results:

• The HD group exhibited significantly less moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) (1.7% vs 3.2%) and more light PA (33.9% vs 29.6%) compared to controls.
• Children with HD had more sporadic MVPA bouts (97.4% vs 89.9%) but fewer short and medium-to-long MVPA bouts.
• Reduced activity was observed in the HD group during the late afternoon (15:00-17:00), with no differences in sedentary time.

Conclusions:

• Children and adolescents with heart disease demonstrate distinct physical activity profiles compared to their healthy peers.
• These differences encompass intensity-specific volumes, the nature of activity bouts, and daily activity timing.
• Findings underscore the importance of addressing specific PA deficits in pediatric populations with heart conditions.