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PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVEL IN ASTHMATIC ADOLESCENTS: CROSS-SECTIONAL POPULATION-BASED STUDY

ABSTRACT

Objective:

To assess the level of physical activity in asthmatics in comparison with non-asthmatics in a population study.

Methods:

Cross-sectional study with 13 to 14-year-old adolescents who participated in the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). The subjects were classified into three groups: individuals with active asthma, individuals diagnosed with asthma, and respiratory asymptomatic individuals. To evaluate the level of physical activity, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-short version) was used. The analysis consisted of comparing individuals with active asthma, diagnosed as asthmatic and asymptomatic, with a significance level of 5%.

Results:

The participants were 1,591 adolescents, of which 791 (49.7%) were male. There were 222 (14.0%) individuals with active asthma and 284 (17.8%) asthma diagnoses; 55% of the population were physically active. Adolescents diagnosed with asthma were more active than their non-asthmatic peers (64.4 versus 53.3%; p=0.001).

Conclusions:

Adolescents diagnosed with asthma were more physically active than their non-asthmatic peers.

Keywords:
Asthma; Excercise; Adolescents, Epidemiology

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