Asthma and Physical Activity in Urban Children

Asthma and obesity disproportionately affect urban minority children. Avoidance of physical activity contributes to obesity, and urban children with asthma are at risk for lower levels of physical activity. We examined associations between lung function and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and moderators of this association in a diverse sample of children with asthma.

Urban children (N = 142) ages 7-9 with persistent asthma and their caregivers completed a study of asthma and physical activity. Longitudinal mixed effects models examining daily-level asthma and physical activity evaluated the association between asthma and MVPA, and the moderating effect of weight, and cultural/contextual factors on this association.

Average daily MVPA was below recommended guidelines. Differences in MVPA were found by racial/ethnic group (p = .04) and weight (p = .001). Poorer asthma status was associated with lower MVPA in Latino and Black participants (p's < .05), and in normal weight youth (p = .01). Body mass index (BMI) moderated the association between asthma and MVPA. Those with lower BMI had more optimal asthma status and higher MVPA levels, whereas associations attenuated for participants with higher BMI (p = .04). Caregivers' perceptions of neighborhood safety and fear of asthma were marginally associated with children's symptoms and MVPA: as perceptions of safety decreased and fear increased, associations between asthma and MVPA weakened (p's = .09 and .07, respectively).

Suboptimal asthma status is associated with less MVPA in urban children. Weight status and cultural/contextual factors play a role in the association and are worthy targets for future research and intervention.