Address correspondence and reprint requests to Prof Henriëtte A. Moll, MD, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus Medical Center, PO Box 2060, 3000 CB Rotterdam, The Netherlands (e-mail: [email protected]).Search for more papers by this author

Lisa M. Driessen,

Lisa M. Driessen

Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

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Jessica C. Kiefte-de Jong,

Jessica C. Kiefte-de Jong

Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

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Anne Wijtzes,

Anne Wijtzes

Department of Public Health, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

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Sanne I. de Vries,

Sanne I. de Vries

Department of Healthy Living, Expertise Centre Life Style TNO, Leiden (SIdV), The Netherlands

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Vincent W.V. Jaddoe,

Vincent W.V. Jaddoe

Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

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Albert Hofman,

Albert Hofman

Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

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Hein Raat,

Hein Raat

Department of Public Health, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

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Henriette A. Moll,

Corresponding Author

Henriette A. Moll

[email protected]

Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

First published: 01 December 2013

https://doi.org/10.1097/MPG.0b013e3182a313fc

Citations: 21

Supplemental digital content is available for this article. Direct URL citations appear in the printed text and are provided in the HTML and PDF versions of this article on the journal's Website (www.jpgn.org).

L.M.D., J.C.K., A.W., and V.W.V.J. are members of the Generation R Study Group.

This phase of the Generation R Study was supported by the Erasmus Medical Center, the Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (Zon Mw) and Europe Container terminals B.V. The Generation R Study is conducted by the Erasmus Medical Center in close collaboration with the School of Law and Faculty of Social Sciences of the Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Municipal Health Service–Rotterdam Metropolitan Area, the Rotterdam Homecare Foundation, and the Stichting Trombosedienst & Artsenlaboratorium Rijnmond.

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

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ABSTRACT

Objectives:

Decreased physical activity levels in children may partly explain the rising prevalence of functional constipation in childhood. The aim of the present study, therefore, was to examine the association between physical activity and functional constipation during the preschool period.

Methods:

This study was embedded in the Generation R study, a large prospective birth-cohort study in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Physical activity was measured by an Actigraph accelerometer in 347 children (182 boys, 165 girls; mean age 25.1 months) and data were expressed as counts per minute. Data were categorized into light activity (302–614 counts/15 seconds), moderate activity (615–1230 counts/15 seconds), and vigorous activity (≥1231 counts/15 seconds). Functional constipation in the third and fourth year of life was defined according to the Rome II criteria.

Results:

Children spending time in the highest tertile of light (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.13–0.87), moderate (adjusted OR 0.37; 95% CI 0.14–0.97), and total activity (adjusted OR 0.37; 95% CI 0.15–0.92) at the age of 2 years had significantly less functional constipation in the fourth year of life. For functional constipation in the third year of life, the results were in similar direction but not statistically significant. Additionally, children with physical activity of more than the WHO recommendation of 60 min/day had significantly less functional constipation in the fourth year of life (adjusted OR 0.48; 95% CI 0.24–0.97).

Conclusions:

Physical activity is associated with a decreased risk of functional constipation in the preschool period, but this may be time dependent.

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Volume57, Issue6

December 2013

Pages 768-774

Preschool Physical Activity and Functional Constipation

The Generation R Study

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