Increased asthma severity correlates with less physical activity and more television time in children

November 30, 2021

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Study data showed that preschoolers with asthma spent significantly more time watching TV than their healthy peers, and that poor asthma control was associated with less physical activity.

In the study published in Allergy, the researchers wrote that approximately 70 to 90% of children with asthma experience exercise-induced asthma (EIA). There are also no specific recommendations for physical activity in children with asthma.

The data were provided by Maurer DJ et al. Allergy. 2021; doi: 10.1111 / all.15105.

“Physical activity is beneficial for both growth and mental development in children,” the researchers write. “While it is agreed that it is essential for asthmatic children to exercise, the fear of EIA could prevent regular physical activity in children, especially children with severe and / or uncontrolled asthma.”

To assess differences in physical activity and daily television viewing in children with and without asthma, the researchers evaluated data from 140 patients (mean age 5.3 years; 82 boys) with mild to moderate asthma and 53 healthy controls (mean age), 5 years; 22 boys) from the PreDicta study.

The patient group reported watching more television per day than the control group, with 59% of the patients with asthma watching 1 to 3 hours per day vs. 42% of the controls and 47% of the controls watching less than 1 hour per day vs. 26% of the Patients (p <.05 for both).

Children with poor asthma control were more physically inactive, with 75% participating in no or occasional physical activity versus 20% of children with controlled asthma (P <0.0001) and 25% of controls. However, patients with good asthma control participated in more physical activity, with 62% being active three or more times per week and 18% being active once or twice per week.

Differences in daily television results after asthma control did not become significant, with 81% of children with uncontrolled asthma watching more than 1 hour per day compared with 78% of children with partially controlled asthma and 70% of children with controlled asthma.

Researchers also tried to assess the impact of physical activity and television on the immune systems of children with asthma by assessing cytokine levels in response to various immune stimuli. They found that children with asthma who did more physical activity in response to stimulants had increased cytokine levels compared to children with little physical activity and long television viewing, indicating “a readiness of circulating immune cells to release cytokines of types 1, 2 and 17” . or “a pro-inflammatory condition” in children with asthma and more physical activity, they wrote.

Although children with asthma who were never or occasionally physically active and those who watched TV for 3 or more hours a day had high correlations for proinflammatory cytokines, the researchers found few such correlations in healthy controls with the same average physical activity or TV time Correlations.

Limitations included the lack of objective criteria for diagnosing asthma in preschoolers and parents’ subjective reports of physical activity and television visits.

“Our work shows a link between limited physical activity and poor asthma control, and that both physical activity and [TV attendance] may affect the systemic immune response and immune and inflammatory thresholds in asthmatic preschoolers, ”the researchers wrote.

“It is very important not to forget the link between physical inactivity, poor cardiovascular fitness and obesity – all of which are dangerous to a child’s health and well-being,” they concluded.

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