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24-Hour Movement Behaviors in Children with Chronic Disease and Their Healthy Peers: A Case-Control Study
Rabha A Elmesmari1, John J Reilly2, James Y Paton1
1School of Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK.
Insights
Children with chronic diseases like type 1 diabetes and congenital heart disease spend less time in physical activity and have more sedentary time. Optimizing 24-hour movement behaviors is crucial for their health and development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Chronic Disease Management
- Movement Behaviors
Background:
- 24-hour movement behaviors are vital for child health and well-being.
- Little is known about these behaviors in children with chronic diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate 24-hour movement behaviors in children with chronic diseases.
- To compare these behaviors against established recommendations and healthy peers.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 80 children with chronic diseases (T1DM, JIA, CHD, CF) and 80 healthy controls.
- Movement behaviors and step counts were measured over 7 days using activPAL accelerometers.
- Data were analyzed to compare groups and against recommendations.
Main Results:
- Children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and congenital heart disease (CHD) had significantly lower physical activity and step counts.
- Children with cystic fibrosis (CF) exhibited significantly higher sedentary time.
- Sleep disruption was consistently higher in children with chronic diseases, notably in T1DM, CHD, and CF groups.
Conclusions:
- Certain chronic pediatric diseases are associated with substantial deviations in 24-hour movement behaviors from recommendations.
- These behaviors also differ systematically from those of healthy children.
- Improving movement behaviors can enhance health, development, and well-being in these children.
Background:
Time spent in 24-h movement behaviors is important to health and wellbeing in childhood, but levels of these behaviors in children with chronic disease are unknown.
Methods:
A case-control-study included 80 children with chronic disease; 20 with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), 20 with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), 20 with congenital heart disease (CHD), 20 with cystic fibrosis (CF); pair-matched individually for age, sex, and timing of measures with 80 healthy children. Habitual time spent in movement behaviors and step counts were all measured with an activPAL accelerometer over 7 days. Comparisons against recommendations and differences between the groups were made.
Results:
Time spent in physical activity and step counts/day were significantly lower in T1DM and CHD groups compared to controls. Only 20/80 children with chronic disease and 29/80 controls met step count recommendations. Sedentary time was significantly higher in children with CF compared to controls. Time spent asleep was slightly greater in children with chronic disease, significant only for the JIA group. Sleep disruption was consistently greater in those with chronic disease, reaching significance for T1DM, CHD, and CF groups.
Conclusions:
For some groups of children with chronic disease, 24-h movement behaviors may differ substantially from recommendations, and slightly but systematically from their healthy peers. Optimizing levels of 24-h movement behaviors should confer a number of benefits for child health, development, and wellbeing.
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