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Association between maternal exercise during pregnancy and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder among preschool

Yingying Liu1, Hui Jiang2, Zizheng Nie1

  • 1School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.

Frontiers in Public Health
|December 12, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Maternal exercise during pregnancy is linked to childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Less than 20 minutes of daily exercise may increase ADHD risk in children.

Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Pediatrics
  • Child Psychology

Background:

  • Maternal exercise during pregnancy offers offspring health benefits.
  • The impact of maternal exercise on childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal exercise during pregnancy and ADHD in preschool children.
  • To explore the relationship between exercise duration and ADHD risk.

Main Methods:

  • A web-based, cross-sectional study conducted in 2021 in Southwest China.
  • Utilized self-reported structured questionnaires for maternal exercise and ADHD symptoms (Conners Parental Symptom Questionnaire).
  • Employed binary logistic regression to analyze the association, adjusting for covariates.

Main Results:

  • Included 4,184 preschool children aged 3-6 years.
  • Mothers exercising <20 min/day were associated with higher ADHD risk (6.3%) compared to those exercising >40 min (3.1%) or 20-40 min (2.8%).
  • Daily exercise <20 min was linked to increased odds of childhood ADHD (adjusted OR = 2.11; 95% CI: 1.41, 3.16).

Conclusions:

  • Maternal moderate-intensity exercise during pregnancy is crucial for preventing childhood ADHD.
  • Findings suggest a protective effect of regular exercise.
  • Further prospective studies are recommended to confirm these results.
Abstract

Keywords:
ADHDmaternal exercisemental healthpregnancypreschool children

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