Prenatal determinants of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness in adolescence - Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 study

Sports participation plays a relevant role in the relationship between birth weight and bone mineral content in adolescents

The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease hypothesis (DOHaD) proposes that growth during the prenatal period might play a critical role in health, affecting the development of diseases, such as osteoporosis. Bone health is particularly affected by human behaviors when sports participation constitutes the main manifestation of physical exercise. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between birth weight (BW) and bone mineral content (BMC) among adolescents, as well as to identify if sports participation and maturity can affect this relationship. The sample was composed of adolescents with ages ranging from 11 to 18 years, stratified according to normal birth weight (n = 331), low birth weight (n = 36), and macrosomia (n = 47), extracted from a wider cross-sectional study (ABCD Growth Study). BW was self-reported by the adolescent's parent. Sports participation was assessed by face-to-face interview. BMC was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. In the multivariate models, the relationships between BW and BMC remained non-significant, while sports participation was significantly related to BMC on lower limbs among boys (r = 0.154; p value = .001) and BMC of upper limbs among girls (r = 0.124; p value = .044). APHV was related to BMC of upper limbs among boys (r = 0.137; p value = .001). In conclusion, BMC was not affected by BW, while this phenomenon seems to be significantly affected by the positive impact of sports participation and maturation on it.

Predicting VO2max in Children and Adolescents Aged between 6 and 17 Using Physiological Characteristics and Participation in Sport Activities: A Cross-Sectional Study Comparing Different Regression Models Stratified by Gender

Background: The aim of this study is to use different regression models to capture the association between cardiorespiratory fitness VO2max (measured in mL/kg/min) and somatometric characteristics and sports activities and making better predictions. Methods: multiple linear regression (MLR), quantile regression (QR), ridge regression (RR), support vector regression (SVR) with three different kernels, artificial neural networks (ANNs), and boosted regression trees (RTs) were compared to explain and predict VO2max and to choose the best performance model. The sample consisted of 4908 children (2314 males and 2594 females) aged between 6 and 17. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed by the 20 m maximal multistage shuttle run test and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) was calculated. Welch t-tests, Mann−Whitney-U tests, X2 tests, and ANOVA tests were performed. The performance measures were root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and coefficient of determination (R2). All analyses were stratified by gender. Results: A comparison of the statistical indices for both the predicted and actual data indicated that in boys, the MLR model outperformed all other models in all indices, followed by the linear SVR model. In girls, the MLR model performed better than the other models in R2 but was outperformed by SVR-RBF in terms of RMSE and MAE. The overweight and obesity categories in both sexes (p < 0.001) and maternal prepregnancy obesity in girls had a significant negative effect on VO2max. Age, weekly football training, track and field, basketball, and swimming had different positive effects based on gender. Conclusion: The MLR model showed remarkable performance against all other models and was competitive with the SVR models. In addition, this study’s data showed that changes in cardiorespiratory fitness were dependent, to a different extent based on gender, on BMI category, weight, height, age, and participation in some organized sports activities. Predictors that are not considered modifiable, such as gender, can be used to guide targeted interventions and policies.

European birth cohorts: a consideration of what they have addressed so far

Background

Knowing the research issues addressed by other cohorts when setting up new cohorts allows researchers to avoid unnecessary duplication of efforts, while permitting collaborations, including data merging data, to better tackle knowledge gaps. This study describes the topics addressed by European birth cohorts, the interaction between these cohort interests and aims, and describes the scientific publications deriving from the cohorts.

Methods

A previous study found 66 pregnancy and 45 birth cohorts in Europe. In this study, between August and October 2020, the predominant key areas addressed by the 45 birth cohorts identified in the previous study were evaluated, as were the publications found in PubMed that were associated with the 45 cohorts. A network analysis was performed to show the connections between the 13 key areas identified. A focus on a topic in common between two areas was provided, describing the related publications.

Results

A total of 1512 references were found in PubMed (148 publications per cohort). Thirteen predominant key areas were identified, the most common of which was “Environmental” (addressed by 20 cohorts). The Environmental, Genes, and Lifestyle exposure areas were the prevalent topics characterizing the network figure. The Environmental area had the largest number of interactions with the other areas, while the Prematurity area (4 cohorts) the least. The focus provided on smoking led to the comparison of 35 publications from the Environmental group of cohorts and 22 from the Prematurity group, but their objectives did not overlap.

Conclusions

The results of this descriptive study show that the environment is a priority research area for cohorts in Europe and that cohorts with different research areas may have study issues in common, but may approach them from different viewpoints. Birth cohorts have wide-ranging aims and it would be almost impossible, and undesirable, to have perfectly overlapping and comparable objectives, but joining efforts would permit maximum use of available resources.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12887-022-03599-2.

Birth-related and current factors associated with physical inactivity in the leisure time in Brazilian adolescents

Background

To determine whether biological and sociodemographic factors at birth and current factors are associated with insufficient physical activity during leisure among Brazilian adolescents.

Methods

A school-based cross-sectional study with national coverage was conducted involving Brazilian adolescents 12 to 17 years of age in municipalities with more than 100 thousand residents. The sample consisted of 74,589 adolescents who participated in the Study of Cardiovascular Risk in Adolescents. Insufficient leisure-time physical activity was categorized based on total volume (<300 minutes/week = insufficiently active; >300 minutes/week = sufficiently active). Poisson regression models were used to assess associated factors.

Results

Most adolescents were classified as insufficiently active (54.8%; 95%CI: 53.7–55.9). The variables associated with insufficient physical activity during leisure were the female sex (70.4%; 95%CI: 68.8–71.9), age between 15 and 17 years (57.8%; 95%CI: 56.3–59.2), pertaining to the low or middle class (54.5%; 95%CI: 52.8–56.1), and not being overweight (55.9%; 95%CI: 54.6–57.1).

Conclusion

Contrary to our hypothesis, birth related factors (e.g., low birth weight, preterm birth and exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months of age) are not associated with physical inactivity. The prevalence of insufficient physical activity during leisure was high among the adolescents evaluated and was associated with sociodemographic characteristics as well as nutritional status. It is necessary to implement strategies focused on physical activity at schools.

Prenatal and postnatal correlates of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in midlife: evidence from the 1970 British Cohort Study

Background

It is hypothesised that lifelong physical activity behaviours are established in early life, however there is minimal, and contradictory, evidence examining prenatal and postnatal factors in relation to adulthood physical activity. We investigated associations between prospectively ascertained prenatal/postnatal factors and device-measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in midlife.

Methods

Analyses included 5011 participants from the 1970 British Cohort Study, a birth cohort study of individuals born within the same week. At birth, the following factors were ascertained: socioeconomic position (SEP), maternal age, number of previous pregnancies, maternal smoking, maternal diabetes, gestational age, birth weight, breastfeeding status and infant health concerns. MVPA was captured at age 46 with a thigh-worn accelerometer device following a 24-hour protocol over 7 days.

Results

In sex-adjusted models, lower SEP (−6.7 min/day (95% CI: −9.0 to –4.4) in those with a partly or unskilled paternal occupation), younger maternal age (0.4 min/day (0.2 to 0.5) per additional year of maternal age), maternal smoking during pregnancy (−2.5 min/day (−4.0 to –1.0)) and post-term gestational age (−7.4 min/day (−11.5 to –3.4); boys only) were associated with lower MVPA at age 46. In the mutually adjusted model, associations did not change but there was some evidence that birth weight may also be associated with MVPA levels.

Conclusions

SEP, maternal age, maternal smoking, post-term birth in boys and birth weight were associated with MVPA in midlife, indicating that midlife physical activity behaviours may be partially established at birth. Early interventions in disadvantaged environments may have a positive impact on physical activity throughout the life course.

Low Birthweight as a Risk Factor for Non-communicable Diseases in Adults

According to studies undertaken over the past 40 years, low birthweight (LBW) is not only a significant predictor of perinatal death and morbidity, but also increases the risk of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in adulthood. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the research on LBW as a risk factor for NCDs in adults. The Barker hypothesis was based on the finding that adults with an LBW or an unhealthy intrauterine environment, as well as a rapid catch-up, die due to NCDs. Over the last few decades, terminology such as thrifty genes, fetal programming, developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD), and epigenetic factors have been coined. The most common NCDs include cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus type 2 (DMT2), hypertension (HT), dyslipidemia, proteinuria, and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Studies in mothers who experienced famine and those that solely reported birth weight as a risk factor for mortality support the concept. Although the etiology of NCD is unknown, Barry Brenner explained the notion of a low glomerular number (nGlom) in LBW children, followed by the progression to hyperfiltration as the physiopathologic etiology of HT and CKD in adults based on Guyton's renal physiology work. Autopsies of several ethnic groups have revealed anatomopathologic evidence in fetuses and adult kidneys. Because of the renal reserve, demonstrating renal function in proportion to renal volume in vivo is more difficult in adults. The greatest impact of these theories can be seen in pediatrics and obstetrics practice.

Pre- and post-natal factors and physical activity in childhood: The Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort study

Few studies have examined the possibility that pre- and post-natal factors may be non-linearly associated with later physical activity. We used data from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort study (MoBa) and the Medical Birth Registry of Norway (MBRN), including 48 672 children with available data on leisure time physical activity (LTPA) at child's age 7 years. Restricted cubic and linear splines or linear regression was used to examine the associations between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, birth weight for gestational age, and infant weight gain from birth to 1 year with LTPA (frequency/wk) in 7-year-old children. The results suggest no associations between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, birth weight, and infant weight gain on subsequent LTPA in girls. Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and birth weight may be non-linearly associated with LTPA in 7-year-old boys. Infant weight gain (change in weight z-score from birth to 1 year) may be weakly linearly associated with LTPA in boys. Pre- and post-natal factors may therefore influence LTPA in childhood differently in boys and girls. Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and birth weight are positively associated with LTPA at the lower ends of the maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and birth weight continuums in boys. The negative associations at the higher ends of the continuums and the positive association between infant weight gain and LTPA in boys may not be important and needs further replication.

Associations of Maternal Prepregnancy Body Mass Index and Gestational Weight Gain With Physical Fitness in Childhood

PURPOSE

To investigate the potential associations of maternal prepregnancy body mass index (mppBMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) with physical fitness in children.

METHODS

A random sample of 5125 children and their mothers was evaluated. The mothers provided data contained in their medical booklets and pregnancy ultrasound records. The data from 5 physical fitness tests (eg, 20-m shuttle run, 30-m sprint, vertical jump, standing long jump, and small ball throw) were used to assess children's cardiorespiratory fitness, speed, explosive power, and lower and upper body strength, respectively.

RESULTS

MppBMI was inversely associated with cardiorespiratory fitness (b = -0.02), lower body strength (b = -1.01), upper body strength (b = -0.07), and speed (b = 0.04). Also, GWG was unfavorably associated with cardiorespiratory fitness (b = -0.02), lower body strength (b = -1.12), upper body strength (b = -0.03), and speed (b = 0.03), after adjusting for sex, birth weight, and children's BMI (all P values < .05). Children of mothers with an mppBMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 and excess GWG had almost 30% and 20% increased odds for low performances in physical fitness tests than those of mothers with an mppBMI < 25 kg/m2 and adequate GWG, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Antenatal factors such as increased mppBMI and excess GWG could play an unfavorable role in the future health of the offspring.

Developmental origins of health and disease theory in cardiology

Numerous epidemiological and animal studies disclosed that birth weight is inversely associated with the incidence of the lifestyle-related disorders in adult life, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and /or chronic kidney disease. Lower birth weight occurs in numerous undesired intrauterine environments including malnutrition, smoking, alcohol consumption, or stress.　The Developmental Origin of Health and Disease (DOHaD) theory is based on the concept that the origins of lifestyle-related disease is formed at the time of fertilization, embryonic, fetal, and neonatal stages by the interrelation between genes and the environments (nutrition, stress, or environmental chemicals). Adult disease develops after delivery facing to abnormal environments such as over-nutrition, much stress, or lack of exercise. Disease develops through these two insults. This concept was first proposed as the "Barker Hypothesis." David Barker had discovered the relation between the lower birth weight and the higher prevalence of ischemic heart disease mortality. Previous epidemiologic studies have found the people exposed to famine during early life had higher risks of cardiovascular diseases in adulthood. Yet, the exact mechanisms that permanently change the structure, physiology, and endocrine status of an individual across their lifespan following altered growth during fetal life are not entirely clear. Epidemiological studies including prospective cohort and observational analysis of the people exposed to malnutrition during fetal or infancy have disclosed the strong relation between the lower birth weight and the higher cardiovascular risks in adults. Recent progress of epigenetic studies unveiled strong genetic association. Hormonal regulation and epigenetic modifications have an important role for proper organ development and physiological functions. The molecular mechanism of predisposition is supposed to be the epigenetics modifications.　Their dysregulation is related to the acquisition of the disease-susceptible trait. In this review, we overview the concept of DOHaD and introduce related clinical and basic research.

Sports participation and adiposity do not mediate the relationship between birth weight and arterial thickness in adolescents: ABCD Growth Study

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the relationship of altered birth weight with metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes among adolescents, as well as to identify if sports participation is able to attenuate or even eliminate the impact of birth weight on health outcomes.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study (Analysis of Behaviours of Children During Growth [ABCD Growth Study]). Adolescents with age ranging from 11 to 18 years old (14.7±2.1) stratified according to normal (n = 230) and altered (n = 35) birth weight composed the sample. Birth weight was self-reported by adolescent's parents. Sports participation was assessed by face-to-face interview. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and femoral intima-media thickness (FIMT) were measured using an ultrasound device. C-reactive protein levels were used to assess the inflammatory status. Blood pressure, Z score of metabolic risk (dyslipidemia and glucose), adiposity, and insulin resistance were covariates.

RESULTS

In the crude model, FIMT (p value = 0.037) and C-reactive protein (p value = 0.029) were affected by altered birth weight. In the adjusted models, altered birth weight affected FIMT (p value = 0.048; small effect size of 1.7%), independently of sports participation. For C-reactive protein, previous time of engagement in sports (p value = 0.001; small effect size of 4.8%) affected C-reactive protein, independently of birth weight.

CONCLUSION

Vascular structure seems to be affected by birth weight in adolescents, while its impact on inflammation seems to be attenuated by the regular engagement in sports.

Multi-behavioral obesogenic phenotypes among school-aged boys and girls along the birth weight continuum

Evidence shows that extremes of birth weight (BW) carry a common increased risk for the development of adiposity and related cardiovascular diseases, but little is known about the role of obesogenic behaviors in this process. Moreover, no one has empirically examined whether the relationship between BW, obesogenic behaviors and BMI along the full low-to-high birthweight continuum reflects the U-shape pattern expected from common risk at both BW extremes. Our objective was to characterize physical activity, screen time, and eating behavior and their relationship to BMI as a function of BW among school-aged boys and girls. In this cross-sectional study, 460 children aged 6 to 12 years (50% boys) from Montreal, Canada provided information on sleeping time, screen time, physical activity levels, eating behavior (emotional, external and restrained eating) and anthropometrics (height, weight, BW) through parent reported questionnaires. BMI was normalized using WHO Standards (zBMI), and BW expressed as ratio using Canadian population standards (BW for gestational age and sex). Analyses were conducted using generalized linear models with linear and quadratic terms for BW, stratified by sex and adjusted for age, ethnicity and household income. In boys, physical activity and screen time showed U-shaped associations with BW, while physical activity had an inverted U-shaped in girls. Emotional and restrained eating had positive linear relations with BW in boys and girls. Sleep time and external eating were not associated with BW. A U-shaped relationship between BW and zBMI was found in boys but no association was found in girls. Only sleep (in boys and girls), and emotional eating (girls only) were related to zBMI and mediation of the BW-zBMI relationship was only supported for emotional eating. In conclusion, BW relates to obesogenic behaviors and BMI in both non-linear and linear ways, and these associations differed by sex.

Maternal Prepregnancy Overweight and Obesity Are Associated with Reduced Physical Fitness But Do Not Affect Physical Activity in Childhood: The Amsterdam Born Children and Their Development Study

BACKGROUND

Maternal overweight/obesity during pregnancy increases offspring's risks of obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD). A possible pathway is by reduced physical fitness and physical activity (PA) levels in children of overweight/obese mother. We assessed whether maternal prepregnancy overweight/obesity independently determines cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), muscular strength, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and sedentary behavior (SB) in 8- to 9-year-old children. We also assessed whether child's fat mass (FM) mediates these associations.

METHODS

One hundred ninety-four children of Dutch ethnicity aged 8.6 (± 0.4) years were randomly selected from a prospective birth cohort, the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development (ABCD) study. CRF was assessed by the 20-m multistage shuttle run test (20-m MSRT), muscular strength by hand dynamometry, and MVPA and SB by accelerometry. The association of prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m² with these outcome measures was assessed by multivariable linear regressions.

RESULTS

Mean (± standard deviation) attained 20-m MSRT stage was 5.3 (± 1.7). Compared with children from normal weight women, children of women with prepregnancy overweight/obesity attained a 0.80 (95% confidence interval: 0.15-1.50) lower stage, adjusted for child's sex and MVPA. This association was not mediated by birthweight or child's FM at age 5 years. Maternal prepregnancy overweight/obesity was not associated with child's muscular strength, MVPA, or SB.

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal prepregnancy overweight/obesity was associated with reduced childhood CRF, but not with muscular strength, PA, or SB. Birthweight and FM at age 5 years did not mediate this association. Reduced CRF may partly explain the increased CVD risk in children of overweight/obese women.