Physical Activity Level in Asthmatic Adolescents: Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study

Abstract

Objective: To assess the level of physical activity in asthmatics in comparison with non-asthmatics in a population study. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 13 to 14-year-old adolescents who participated in the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). The subjects were classified into three groups: individuals with active asthma, individuals diagnosed with asthma, and respiratory asymptomatic individuals. To evaluate the level of physical activity, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-short version) was used. The analysis consisted of comparing individuals with active asthma, diagnosed as asthmatic and asymptomatic, with a significance level of 5%. Results: The participants were 1,591 adolescents, of which 791 (49.7%) were male. There were 222 (14.0%) individuals with active asthma and 284 (17.8%) asthma diagnoses; 55% of the population were physically active. Adolescents diagnosed with asthma were more active than their non-asthmatic peers (64.4 versus 53.3%; p=0.001). Conclusions: Adolescents diagnosed with asthma were more physically active than their non-asthmatic peers.

Are there differences in the physical activity level and functional capacity among children and adolescents with and without asthma?

“…Despite the variety of existing instruments for assessing the level of physical activity, there is still no consensus in research literature on whether individuals with asthma are less active than their healthy peers. 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 Cassim et al, 11 based on a meta-analysis, evaluated and compared the level of physical activity of children and adolescents with and without asthma, and found no differences between groups. However, the authors included only articles that used pedometers and accelerometers as an assessment tool.…”