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Physical activity, sedentary time and nutritional status in Brazilian children with cerebral palsy
Raíne Costa Borba Firmino de Arruda1, Rafael Miranda Tassitano2, Anísio Luís da Silva Brito3
1Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE, Brazil; Fundação Altino Ventura (FAV), Recife, PE, Brazil.
Insights
Children with cerebral palsy (CP) spend over half their day sedentary. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (PA) is linked to lower body fat in children with CP.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neurology
- Sports Science
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) is a complex neurological disorder affecting movement.
- Understanding physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior in children with CP is crucial for health management.
- Body composition is a key indicator of health and disease risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the physical activity (PA) and sedentary time profiles of children with cerebral palsy (CP).
- To examine the association between PA, sedentary time, and body composition in this population.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 53 children (2-10 years) with CP in Recife, Brazil.
- PA and sedentary time were measured over one week using accelerometers (ActiGraph GTX3).
- Body composition was assessed via anthropometry and bioelectrical impedance analysis.
Main Results:
- Children with CP spent over half their daily time in sedentary activities.
- Mild/moderate CP cases engaged in more PA than severe cases, with similar sedentary times.
- Higher moderate-to-vigorous PA was inversely associated with body fat percentage.
Conclusions:
- Children with CP exhibit significant sedentary behavior.
- PA levels vary by CP severity and type, with implications for body composition.
- Promoting PA may be beneficial for managing body composition in children with CP.
Objective:
This study had the purpose investigate the physical activity (PA) and sedentary time profile of children with cerebral palsy and its association with body composition.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study evaluated 53 children, between 2 and 10 years old, enrolled in three health services Recife-city, northeast of Brazil. Sedentary and PA were measured for a week using the ActiGraph GTX3 accelerometer. Body composition was assessed by anthropometry and an electrical bioimpedance device.
Results:
Time on PA was one hour longer among the mild/moderate CP compared to severe ones, but, sedentary time is similar. Dyskinetic children spent more time in PA, but also in sedentary activities (15.5 hours a day) than spastic ones (12.8). Stunting occurred in 15 (30%) of the sample, all children with stunting had severe impairment. Underweight occurred in 25% of the severe group and 11.8% in the mild/moderate group. Overweight affected 3% of the sample; no overweight children were in the severe group. Body fat% was inversely related to time spent in moderate to vigorous PA.
Conclusions:
Children with CP spend more than a half of their daily time in sedentary activity. In contrast, children with mild to moderate CP spent twice as much time in moderate to vigorous PA and had a tendency (p = 0.07) to spend 50% more time in light PA. Moreover, time spent on moderate to vigorous activity was inversely related to fat mass.
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