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Are young children with asthma more likely to be less physically active?
Raisa Cassim1,2, Shyamali C Dharmage1,2, Rachel L Peters2,3
1Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Heath, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia.
Insights
Asthma and wheeze do not appear to limit physical activity in young children. This suggests public health campaigns promoting activity are effective for children with respiratory conditions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric respiratory health
- Childhood physical activity and sedentary behavior
Background:
- Inconclusive previous research on asthma's impact on children's physical activity.
- Need to understand if asthma or wheeze affects activity levels and if factors like sex or BMI modify this.
- Investigating the relationship between asthma/wheeze and physical activity in children is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if asthma or wheeze is associated with lower physical activity in children.
- To examine if sex, body mass index (BMI), or prior asthma/wheeze status modifies this association.
Main Methods:
- Study involved 391 children in Melbourne, Australia (HealthNuts cohort).
- Asthma and wheeze data collected via questionnaire at ages 4 and 6.
- Physical activity measured using accelerometry; associations analyzed with adjusted linear regression models.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at age 6 between children with and without asthma at age 4.
- Children with asthma, current wheeze, or ever wheeze/asthma showed no significant reduction in daily physical activity.
- Sex and previous asthma/wheeze status did not modify the association; BMI interaction could not be assessed.
Conclusions:
- This study found no evidence that asthma hinders physical activity in young children.
- Results are encouraging, suggesting effective communication and adoption of Australian asthma and physical activity public health campaigns.
Background:
Previous research suggests that children who experience asthma may be less physically active; however, results have been inconclusive. This study aimed to investigate whether the presence of asthma or wheeze is associated with lower physical activity levels in children, and whether sex, body mass index or earlier asthma or wheeze status modifies the association.
Methods:
This study was conducted in 391 HealthNuts participants in Melbourne, Australia. Asthma and wheeze data were collected via questionnaire at age 4 and 6, and physical activity was measured through accelerometry. Using adjusted linear regression models, the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations were investigated.
Results:
There was no evidence of a difference in time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at age 6 years between children with and without asthma at age 4; children with asthma spent 8.3 minutes more time physically active per day (95% CI: -5.6, 22.1, P = .24) than children without asthma. Similar results were seen for children with current wheeze (5.8 minutes per day more, 95% CI: -5.9, 17.5, P = .33) or ever wheeze or asthma (7.7 minutes per day more, 95% CI: -4.8, 20.2, P = .23) at age 4 years. Comparable null results were observed in the cross-sectional analyses. Interaction with BMI could not be assessed; however, previous asthma or wheeze status and sex were not found to modify these associations.
Conclusion:
This analysis found no evidence of asthma hindering physical activity in these young children. These results are encouraging, as they indicate that the Australian asthma and physical activity public health campaigns are being effectively communicated and adopted by the public.
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