Childhood Growth and Adult Cardiorespiratory Fitness
Author Information
Author(s): Minna K. Salonen, Eero Kajantie, Clive Osmond, Tom Forsén, Hilkka Ylihärsilä, Maria Paile-Hyvärinen, D. J. P. Barker, Johan G. Eriksson
Primary Institution: National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
Hypothesis
Small body size at birth and slow growth during infancy and childhood would be associated with lower CRF levels in late middle-aged men and women.
Conclusion
Childhood growth was associated with cardiorespiratory fitness in adulthood, while body size at birth was not.
Supporting Evidence
- Height at ages 2 and 7 years was positively associated with adult CRF.
- Higher BMI at age 11 predicted lower adult CRF.
- Childhood growth patterns were linked to adult fitness levels.
Takeaway
If you grow taller and healthier as a child, you are likely to be fitter as an adult, but being small at birth doesn't seem to matter.
Methodology
Participants underwent a clinical examination and a 2-km walk test to measure cardiorespiratory fitness, with data on growth obtained from health records.
Potential Biases
Participants may have been healthier than non-participants, potentially skewing results.
Limitations
The study may not be representative of the entire population as it was limited to individuals born in a specific hospital and who participated in voluntary health clinics.
Participant Demographics
Men and women born between 1934 and 1944 in Helsinki, Finland.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI 0.02 to 0.40
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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