Is children’s health-related quality of life associated with physical fitness and mode of commuting? PREVIENE Project

Abstract

Aim: The aims of this study were (1) to examine the associations between self-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL), health-related physical fitness (cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, and speed-agility), and mode of commuting to and from school in Spanish children, and separately by gender and (2) to analyse the difference in cardiorespiratory fitness by mode of commuting to and from school by gender. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis that included 415 children aged 8.47 ± 0.36 years from 14 schools in Granada, Spain. The HRQoL outcome was assessed using the valid and reliable KINDL-R questionnaire, which covers six life dimensions, children’s physical fitness was assessed using the ALPHA fitness test battery, and while commuting to and from school was assessed using the valid, reliable, and feasible ‘Mode and Frequency of Commuting To and From School Questionnaire’. Results: Cardiorespiratory fitness was positively correlated with all dimensions of HRQoL in boys, whereas higher muscular strength (standing long jump) was positively correlated with the emotional wellbeing dimension in girls. In addition, boys who actively commute to school (walking) presented better cardiorespiratory fitness. Moreover, children who actively commuted to school (walking) presented better scores for the emotional wellbeing, family, and school dimensions, as well as total scores (both, p < .05) of HRQoL. Conclusion: In our study, HRQoL was positively correlated with cardiorespiratory fitness in boys (all dimensions), whereas muscular strength (standing long jump) was positively correlated with the emotional wellbeing dimension only in girls. Active commuting to and from school was associated with higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, school dimension, and KINDL-R total score. Improving cardiorespiratory fitness might be especially useful to improve HRQoL in children, and vice versa.

Cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between cardiorespiratory fitness and health-related quality of life in primary school children in England: the mediating role of psychological correlates of physical activity

“…Our cross-sectional results showed a positive association between CRF and HRQoL. Similar findings were found in previous studies, [11][12][13]39 which reported that children with higher levels of CRF had better HRQoL. For instance, a study in Norwegian 10-year-olds revealed that CRF had a small to medium effect size (R 2 ranging from 0.17 to 0.5) in its positive association with all HRQoL domains (i.e., physical and psychological well-being, autonomy and parents, social support and school environment).…”

“…10 Previous research suggests that CRF may be a potentially useful strategy to enhance children's HRQoL, however evidence of this relationship is limited to cross-sectional studies. [11][12][13] For example, Andersen et al's study of 1129 schoolchildren aged 10 years, showed that CRF was positively associated with overall HRQoL. 11 Another study including 415 children aged between 8 and 9 years reported a positive weak correlation between CRF and HRQoL in boys, but not in girls.…”

“…11 Another study including 415 children aged between 8 and 9 years reported a positive weak correlation between CRF and HRQoL in boys, but not in girls. 12 Moreover, the study of Redondo-Tébar et al, which involved 1413 younger children, aged 4 to 7 years, concluded that children with higher CRF levels had greater HRQoL. 13 While informative, these studies cannot explain the dynamic processes that could occur over time, neither provide a long-term perspective of the influence that CRF might have on HRQoL, which could contribute to understanding the determinants of children's health outcomes.…”

The Role of Physical Activity in the Relationship between Satisfaction with Life and Health-Related Quality of Life in School-Age Adolescents

“…Physical activity has emerged as a useful tool to maintain a healthy lifestyle [ 17 ]. In this regard, several studies have pointed out the relationship between physical activity and HRQoL [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. Thus, more than sixteen articles in the last year and a half have explored this relationship.…”

“…In this regard, a previous study showed that physical activity levels can predict HRQoL in children as well as that physical activity is the main behavior in the prediction of the quality of life for a population of school adolescents [ 20 ]. Furthermore, improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness may be useful to improve HRQoL [ 18 , 19 ]. Strengthening the relationship between level of physical activity and HRQoL, we can find different articles exploring sedentary behaviors and their relation to HRQoL [ 21 ].…”