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Associations between health-related quality of life, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, physical activity and waist circumference in 10-year-old children: the ASK study

Quality of Life Research volume 26, pages 3421–3428 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

To examine the associations between cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, physical activity and waist circumference with self-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis that included 1129 school children aged 10 years from 57 schools in Sogn and Fjordane County, Norway. The HRQoL outcome was assessed by the self-reported KIDSCREEN-27 questionnaire, which covers five life domains. Independent variables were cardiorespiratory fitness assessed by the Andersen intermittent field running test, handgrip strength measured by a hand dynamometer, explosive strength in the lower body using a standing broad jump test, physical activity (counts per minute) using an accelerometer and abdominal adiposity measured by waist circumference. Statistical analyses were performed using linear mixed-effect models including school site as a random effect. Age and sex were entered as covariates.

Results

Only cardiorespiratory fitness was positively associated with higher scores on all five KIDSCREEN-27 domains (P < 0.047 for all). Explosive strength in the lower body was positively associated with higher autonomy and parents scores (P = 0.018), while physical activity was positively associated with higher physical well-being scores (P = 0.008).

Conclusions

Improving cardiorespiratory fitness might be especially useful for improving HRQoL in children.

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Funding

This study was funded by the Research Council of Norway (ID number 221047/F40) and Sogn og Fjordane University College (new name from 1 January 2017: “Western Norway University of Applied Sciences”).

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Svanehaugvegen 1, 6812, Førde, Norway

    John Roger Andersen, Ronette L. Kolotkin & Sigmund A. Anderssen

  2. Centre of Health Research, Førde Hospital Trust, Førde, Norway

    John Roger Andersen, Ronette L. Kolotkin & Geir Kåre Resaland

  3. Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

    Gerd Karin Natvig

  4. Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Sogndal, Norway

    Eivind Aadland, Vegard Fusche Moe & Geir Kåre Resaland

  5. Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway

    Sigmund A. Anderssen

  6. Quality of Life Consulting, Durham, NC, USA

    Ronette L. Kolotkin

  7. Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA

    Ronette L. Kolotkin

Authors
  1. John Roger Andersen
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  2. Gerd Karin Natvig
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  3. Eivind Aadland
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  4. Vegard Fusche Moe
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  5. Ronette L. Kolotkin
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  6. Sigmund A. Anderssen
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  7. Geir Kåre Resaland
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to John Roger Andersen.

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Conflict of interest

The author declares no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

The ASK study conforms to the ethical guidelines of the World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Regional Committee for Medical Research Ethics (Reference Number: 2012/2304).

Informed consent

We obtained written consent from the parents or legal guardians and responsible school authorities of each child.

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Andersen, J.R., Natvig, G.K., Aadland, E. et al. Associations between health-related quality of life, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, physical activity and waist circumference in 10-year-old children: the ASK study. Qual Life Res 26, 3421–3428 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-017-1634-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-017-1634-1

Keywords

  • Fitness
  • Physical activity
  • Waist circumference
  • Health-related quality of life
  • KIDSCREEN-27
  • Children