3.2 Physical activity and TV attendance in asthmatic preschoolers and the effect of asthma control
In the asthmatic group, a significantly higher daily TVA was reported (daily TVA <1h in 25.7% of cases versus 47.2% of controls; 1-3h daily TVA in 58.6% of cases and 41.5% of controls, Table 1). Also, there was a higher percentage of children that were never or only occasionally vigorously physically active in the case group (30.0% versus 24.5% of healthy subjects), whereas the control group showed more PA (≥ 3 times of vigorous PA per week in 56.6% of controls versus 52.8% of cases). However, the differences in weekly PA were not statistically significant.
Children with poor asthma control were significantly more physically inactive (75.0% never or occasionally physically active versus 25% ≥ 3 times per week, Table 2 and Fig. 1A). In contrast, there was a significantly higher proportion of physically active subjects in those with good asthma control (62% of them with PA ≥ 3 times per week and 18% 1-2 times per week).
Daily TVA was slightly higher in children with uncontrolled asthma showing 81% > 1 h TVA per day in the uncontrolled asthma group compared to 78% and 70% in the partly controlled asthma and controlled asthma groups, respectively (Fig. 1B). However, no statistical significance was shown for this observation.