Open AccessPhysical activity and aerobic fitness in childhood: associated with asthma?
Author(s) -
Berntsen Sveinung
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the clinical respiratory journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.789
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1752-699X
pISSN - 1752-6981
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-699x.2010.00197.x
Subject(s) - norwegian , medicine , asthma , aerobic exercise , physical fitness , population , demography , cohort , environmental health , pediatrics , gerontology , physical therapy , philosophy , linguistics , sociology
The prevalence of childhood asthma in the Western world has increased in the last decades, whereas knowledge of asthma prevalence in districts where ‘Westernized lifestyle’ is not adopted is inadequate. Even though there is a general lack of studies including objective physical activity measurements and direct measurements of maximal oxygen uptake, the overriding public perception of today’s children and adolescents is that they are less physical active and with lower levels of aerobic fitness than the youth of previous generations. Recently, reduced physical activity level and low aerobic fitness have been proposed to increase the risk of asthma. However, there is no consensus whether a sedentary lifestyle or decreased physical activity increases asthma risk. Evaluating a childhood population from a rural district, where ‘Westernized lifestyle’ is not adopted, is to make comparison with children representing a traditional rural lifestyle.