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Associations between physical activity and development in preschool-aged children born <30 weeks’ gestation: a cohort study
  1. Tara L FitzGerald1,2,
  2. Kate L Cameron1,2,
  3. Reem A Albesher2,3,
  4. Benjamin F Mentiplay4,
  5. Rheanna M Mainzer2,5,
  6. Alice C Burnett2,6,
  7. Karli Treyvaud2,7,
  8. Ross A Clark8,
  9. Peter J Anderson2,9,
  10. Jeanie LY Cheong2,6,
  11. Lex W Doyle2,6,
  12. Alicia J Spittle2,6
  1. 1 Department of Physiotherapy, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria, Australia
  2. 2 Victorian Infant Brain Studies, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
  3. 3 Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  4. 4 La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  5. 5 Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
  6. 6 Neonatal Research, The Royal Women's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
  7. 7 Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  8. 8 School of Health, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
  9. 9 Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  1. Correspondence to Dr Tara L FitzGerald, Physiotherapy, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria 3052, Australia; tara.fitzgerald{at}unimelb.edu.au

Abstract

Objective To investigate the effect of physical activity (PA) on development (motor, cognitive, social-emotional) in children 4–5 years old born <30 weeks’ gestation, and to describe subgroups of children at risk of low PA in this cohort.

Design Longitudinal cohort study.

Patients 123 children born <30 weeks were recruited at birth and assessed between 4 and 5 years’ corrected age.

Main outcome measures Development was assessed using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition (MABC-2), Little Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (L-DCDQ), Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (Fourth Edition; WPPSI-IV), and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). To measure PA, children wore an accelerometer and parents completed a diary for 7 days. Effects of PA on developmental outcomes, and associations between perinatal risk factors and PA, were estimated using linear regression.

Results More accelerometer-measured PA was associated with better MABC-2 aiming and catching scores (average standard score increase per hour increase in PA: 0.54, 95% CI 0.11, 0.96; p=0.013), and lower WPPSI-IV processing speed index scores (average composite score decrease per hour increase in PA: −2.36, 95% CI −4.19 to –0.53; p=0.012). Higher accelerometer-measured PA was associated with better SDQ prosocial scores. Major brain injury in the neonatal period was associated with less moderate-vigorous and less unstructured PA at 4–5 years.

Conclusions Higher levels of PA are associated with aspects of motor, cognitive and social-emotional skill development in children 4–5 years old born <30 weeks. Those with major brain injury in the neonatal period may be more vulnerable to low PA at preschool age.

  • Child Development
  • Paediatrics
  • Child Health

Data availability statement

Data are available upon reasonable request. Data available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author.

https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2023-326045

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    Data availability statement

    Data are available upon reasonable request. Data available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author.

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    Footnotes

    • Twitter @TaraLFitz, @MentiplayB

    • Contributors TLF conceptualised the research question, collected data, conducted the data analysis, drafted the manuscript and approved the final manuscript as submitted. KLC, RAA and BFM collected data, critically revised the manuscript and approved the final manuscript as submitted. RM and RAC assisted with data analysis and interpretation, critically revised the manuscript and approved the final manuscript as submitted. AB, KT, JLYC, LWD, AS and PJA conceptualised the research question, critically revised the manuscript and approved the final manuscript as submitted. All authors agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

      Guarantor: TLF.

    • Funding This work is supported by grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (Centre of Research Excellence #1060733; Leadership Level 1 #2016390 to JLYC; Career Development Fellowship #1108714 to AS; Career Development Fellowship #1090415 to RAC; Leadership Fellowship #1176077 to PJA), and the Victorian Government’s Operational Infrastructure Support Program. TLF’s and KLC’s PhD candidatures were supported by the Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship and the Centre of Research Excellence in Newborn Medicine. RAA's PhD candidature was supported by Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University Scholarship and the Centre of Research Excellence in Newborn Medicine.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

    • Supplemental material This content has been supplied by the author(s). It has not been vetted by BMJ Publishing Group Limited (BMJ) and may not have been peer-reviewed. Any opinions or recommendations discussed are solely those of the author(s) and are not endorsed by BMJ. BMJ disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on the content. Where the content includes any translated material, BMJ does not warrant the accuracy and reliability of the translations (including but not limited to local regulations, clinical guidelines, terminology, drug names and drug dosages), and is not responsible for any error and/or omissions arising from translation and adaptation or otherwise.