Maternal Education Level but not Physical Activity in Pregnancy was Associated with Fitness and Fatness in Childhood

Konstantinos D. Tambalis^{1, 2,} and Labros S. Sidossis^{1, 3}

¹Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece

²Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece

³Department of Kinesiology and Health, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA

Cite this paper:
Konstantinos D. Tambalis and Labros S. Sidossis. Maternal Education Level but not Physical Activity in Pregnancy was Associated with Fitness and Fatness in Childhood. Journal of Physical Activity Research. 2021; 6(2):93-100. doi: 10.12691/jpar-6-2-4

Abstract

The aim was to investigate the association between parental education level and physical activity (PA) in pregnancy with offspring’s physical fitness (PF) and obesity status in childhood considered several covariates. Population-based data were obtained from a national database that included anthropometric and PF (cardiorespiratory fitness, speed, and body strength) data of almost all Greek children 8 to 9 years. Α random sample of 5,125 dyads of mothers-children was evaluated. Telephone interviews were carried out with the use of a standardized questionnaire for the collection of maternal lifestyle factors. Children whose mothers had secondary/tertiary educational levels had higher odds of overweight/obesity by 30% in boys and 44% in girls and increased odds for low performances in CRF and upper body explosive strength tests, in boys (OR=1.73, 95%CI: 1.24-1.43 and OR=1.29, 95%CI: 1.07-1.72, respectively) and girls (OR=1.62, 95%CI: 1.15-2.27 and OR=1.73, 95%CI: 1.23-2.25, respectively) than their peers with mothers of basic educational level. Maternal PA levels in pregnancy did not found to significantly associate either to child’s obesity status neither to PF. Considerable variation in BMI and PF status in association with maternal education has been demonstrated, but no association was found for PA in pregnancy.

Keywords:
physical activity education pregnancy physical fitness childhood

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References:

[1]	James WPT. The epidemiology of obesity: the size of the problem. J Intern Med. 2008; 263: 336-352.
[2]	World Health Organization. World Obesity. Prevalence of Obesity. https://www.worldobesity.org/about/about-obesity/prevalence-of-obesity. Assessed 20 Feb 2021.
[3]	Williams J, Wake M, Hesketh K, Maher E, Waters E. Health-related quality of life of overweight and obese children. JAMA. 2005; 293(1):70-76.
[4]	Reilly JJ, Methven E, McDowell ZC, et al. Health consequences of obesity. Arch Dis Child. 2003; 88(9): 748-752.
[5]	Kodama S, Saito K, Tanaka S, et al. Cardiorespiratory fitness as a quantitative predictor of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events in healthy men and women: a meta-analysis. JAMA. 2009; 301(19): 2024-2035.
[6]	Anderssen SA, Cooper AR, Riddoch C, et al. Low cardiorespiratory fitness is a strong predictor for clustering of cardiovascular disease risk factors in children independent of country, age and sex. Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil. 2007; 14(4): 526-531.
[7]	Ortega FB, Ruiz JR, Castillo MJ, Sjostrom M. Physical fitness in childhood and adolescence: a powerful marker of health. Int J Obes (Lond). 2008; 32(1): 1-11.
[8]	Wilder RP, Greene JA, Winters KL, Long WB 3rd, Gubler K, Edlich RF. Physical fitness assessment: an update. J Long Term Eff Med Implants. 2006; 16(2): 193-204.
[9]	Bray MS, Hagberg JM, Pérusse L, et al. The human gene map for performance and health related fitness phenotypes: the 2006-2007 update. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009; 41(1): 35-73.
[10]	Sandercock GRH, Lobelo F, Correa-Bautista JE, et al. The Relationship between Socioeconomic Status, Family Income, and Measures of Muscular and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Colombian Schoolchildren. J Pediatr. 2017; 185:81-87. e2.
[11]	Freitas D, Maia J, Beunen G, et al. Socio-economic status, growth, physical activity and fitness: the Madeira Growth Study. Ann Hum Biol. 2007; 34(1): 107-122.
[12]	Imhof K, Faude O, Donath L, Bean-Eisenhut S, Hanssen H, Zahner L. The association of socio-economic factors with physical fitness and activity behaviours, spinal posture and retinal vessel parameters in first graders in urban Switzerland. J Sports Sci. 2016; 34(13): 1271-1280.
[13]	Finger JD, Mensink GB, Banzer W, Lampert T, Tylleskär T. Physical activity, aerobic fitness and parental socio-economic position among adolescents: the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents 2003-2006 (KiGGS). Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2014; 11(1): 43.
[14]	Wang Y. Cross-national comparison of childhood obesity: the epidemic and the relationship between obesity and socioeconomic status. Int J Epidemiol. 2001; 30(5): 1129-1136.
[15]	Wang Y, Lim H. The global childhood obesity epidemic and the association between socio-economic status and childhood obesity. Int Rev Psychiatry. 2012; 24(3): 176-188.
[16]	Gaston A, Cramp A. Exercise during pregnancy: a review of patterns and determinants. J Sci Med Sport. 2011; 14(4): 299-305.
[17]	Garshasbi A, Zadeh S. The effect of exercise on the intensity of low back pain in pregnant women. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2005; 88(3): 271-275.
[18]	Tambalis KD, Mourtakos S, Sidossis LS. Associations of maternal pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index and Gestational Weight Gain with physical fitness in childhood. Pediatr Exerc Sci. 2020; 22: 1-7.
[19]	Tambalis KD, Mourtakos S, Panagiotakos DB, Sidossis LS. Smoking during pregnancy was negatively associated with physical fitness in childhood. HJOG. 2020; 19(3): 123-134.
[20]	Tambalis KD, Panagiotakos DB, Mourtakos S, Sidossis LS. Exclusive breastfeeding is favorably associated with physical fitness in children. Breastfeed Med. 2019; 14(6): 390-397. .
[21]	Cole TJ, Flegal KM, Nicholls D, Jackson AA. Body mass index cut offs to define thinness in children and adolescents: international survey. Br Med J. 2007; 335(7612): 194.
[22]	Kendrick JS, Williamson DF, Caspersen CJ. A meta-analysis of physical activity in the prevention of coronary heart disease. Am J Epidemiol. 1990; 132(4): 612-628.
[23]	Evenson KR, Chasan-Taber L, Symons Downs D, Pearce EE. Review of self-reported physical activity assessments for pregnancy: summary of the evidence for validity and reliability. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2012; 26(5): 479-494.
[24]	Research CoECoEoS. Eurofit: Handbook for the Eurofit Tests of Physical Fitness Council of Europe, Committee for the Development of Sport. 2 ed. Strasbourg: Council of Europe, Committee for the Development of Sport; 1999.
[25]	Tambalis KD, Panagiotakos DB, Arnaoutis G, Sidossis LS. Endurance, explosive power, and muscle strength in relation to body mass index and physical fitness in greek children aged 7-10 years. Pediatr Exerc Sci. 2013; 25(3): 394-406.
[26]	Sobal J, Stunkard AJ. Socioeconomic status and obesity: a review of the literature. Psychol Bull. 1989; 105: 260-275.
[27]	McLaren L. Socioeconomic status and obesity. Epidemiol Rev. 2007; 29: 29-48.
[28]	Neumark-Sztainer D, Story M, Resnick MD, Blum RW. Correlates of inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption among adolescents. Prev Med. 1996; 25: 497-505.
[29]	Guedes DP, Miranda Neto J, Lopes VP, Silva AJ. Health-related physical fitness is associated with selected sociodemographic and behavioral factors in Brazilian school children. J Phys Act Health. 2012; 9: 473-480.
[30]	Otero J, Cohen DD, Herrera VM, Camacho PA, Bernal O, López-Jaramillo P. Sociodemographic factors related to handgrip strength in children and adolescents in a middle income country: the SALUS study. Am J Hum Biol. 2017; 29(1).
[31]	Borodulin KM, Evenson KR, Wen F, Herring AH, Benson AM. Physical activity patterns during pregnancy. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008; 40(11): 1901-1908.
[32]	Schou Andersen C, Juhl M, Gamborg M, Sørensen TI, Nohr EA. Maternal Recreational Exercise during Pregnancy in relation to Children's BMI at 7 Years of Age. Int J Pediatr. 2012; 2012: 920583.
[33]	Clapp JF 3rd, Simonian S, Lopez B, Appleby-Wineberg S, Harcar-Sevcik R. The one-year morphometric and neurodevelopmental outcome of the offspring of women who continued to exercise regularly throughout pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1998; 178(3): 594-599.
[34]	Clapp JF 3rd. Morphometric and neurodevelopmental outcome at age five years of the offspring of women who continued to exercise regularly throughout pregnancy. J Pediatr. 1996; 129(6): 856-863.
[35]	Chiavaroli V, Hopkins SA, Derraik JGB, et al. Exercise in pregnancy: 1-year and 7-year follow-ups of mothers and offspring after a randomized controlled trial. Sci Rep. 2018; 8(1): 12915.
[36]	Pivarnik JM, Mudd LM, White EE, Schlaff RA, Peyer KL. Physical activity during pregnancy and offspring characteristics at 8-10 years. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2014; 54(5): 672-679.
[37]	May LE, Scholtz SA, Suminski R, Gustafson KM. Aerobic exercise during pregnancy influences infant heart rate variability at one month of age. Early Hum Dev. 2014; 90(1): 33-38.
[38]	Guillemette L, Hay JL, Kehler DS, et al. Exercise in Pregnancy and Children's Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med Open. 2018; 4(1): 35.