Physical activity in infancy is associated with body composition at age three

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Exercise Science
• Human Body Composition

Background:

• Rising pediatric obesity rates necessitate understanding contributing factors.
• Prenatal and postnatal influences, including physical activity (PA), play a role in child development.
• Investigating early life PA is crucial for addressing childhood obesity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between child PA at ages one and three and body composition at age three.
• To explore the association between maternal PA during pregnancy and child body composition.
• To identify early PA patterns that promote healthy growth.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 68 mother-child pairs in a pregnancy PA intervention study.
• Assessed child PA via accelerometry at one and three years (24-hour and daytime).
• Measured child body composition (fat-free mass [FFM], body fat percentage [BF%]) using DXA; maternal PA via activity tracker.

Main Results:

• Positive association found between daytime PA at age one and child FFM at age three.
• Daytime and 24-hour PA at age three positively correlated with FFM.
• Increased 24-hour PA at age three was linked to lower BF% and higher FFM.
• Maternal moderate-to-vigorous PA during pregnancy showed no significant association with child body composition.

Conclusions:

• Higher daytime PA in early childhood (ages one and three) is associated with greater FFM at age three.
• Promoting early PA habits is vital for establishing healthy body composition in children.
• Further research into early life PA interventions is warranted.