Elhakeem, A;
Cooper, R;
Bann, D;
Kuh, D;
Hardy, R;
(2017)
Birth Weight, School Sports Ability, and Adulthood Leisure-Time Physical Activity.
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
, 49
(1)
pp. 64-70.
10.1249/MSS.0000000000001077.
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Abstract
PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the associations of birth weight with ability in school sports in adolescence and participation in leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) across adulthood and to investigate whether associations between birth weight and LTPA change with age. METHODS: Study participants were British singletons born in 1946 and followed up to age 68 yr (the Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development). Birth weights were extracted from birth records. Teacher reports of ability in school sports were collected at age 13 yr. LTPA was self-reported at ages 36, 43, 53, 60-64, and 68 yr and categorized at each age as participating in sports, exercise, and other vigorous LTPA at least once per month versus no participation. Associations were examined using standard and mixed-effects logistic regression models. RESULTS: Relevant data were available for 2739 study participants (50.1% female). When compared with the low birth weight group (≤2.50 kg), those with heavier birth weights were more likely to be rated as above average or average at school sports (vs below average); fully adjusted odds ratio = 1.78 (95% confidence interval = 1.14-2.77). Across adulthood, those with heavier birth weights were more likely to participate in LTPA than those with low birth weight; fully adjusted odds ratio of LTPA across adulthood = 1.52 (95% confidence interval = 1.09-2.14). This association did not vary by age (P = 0.5 for birth weight by age interaction). CONCLUSIONS: Low birth weight was associated with lower ability in school sports and with nonparticipation in LTPA across adulthood. Identifying the underlying developmental and social processes operating across life for low birth weight infants may inform the design of appropriate interventions to support participation in LTPA across life.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Birth Weight, School Sports Ability, and Adulthood Leisure-Time Physical Activity |
| Location: | United States |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001077 |
| Publisher version: | http://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000001077 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © 2017 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health on behalf of the American College of Sports Medicine. This is an open-access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CCBY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Social Research Institute UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Cardiovascular Science |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1514427 |
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