Physical Activity and Lung Function Growth in a Cohort of Chinese School Children: A Prospective Study.

Abstract

Backgrounds/objectivesEvidence on the association between physical activity and lung function in children is sparse. The aim of this study was to evaluate children's lung function growth in relation to their physical activity level in Chinese children.MethodsA total of 1713 school children aged 9.89±0.86 years who were asthma-free at baseline were followed-up for 18 months from 2006 to 2008 in Guangzhou, China. Information on physical activity and other socio-economic status were obtained from self-administered questionnaires. Lung function tests were performed with a standard procedure.ResultsAt the baseline survey, physically active girls had significantly higher forced vital capacity (FVC) than inactive girls (1.79 l vs. 1.75 l, pConclusionsPhysical activity is positively associated with lung function growth among Chinese school-aged girls. Promotion of physical activity among children is of great importance.