Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Department of Pediatrics, Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Front Public Health. 2022 Oct 10;10:981128. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.981128. eCollection 2022.
The evidence for associations of emotional/behavioral status with sedentary behavior (SB), physical activity (PA) and step counts is scarce in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Also, ASD-related deficiencies may affect actual levels of PA. We aimed to describe accelerometer-measured SB, PA and step counts in children with ASD, and to examine the associations of emotional/behavioral problems with SB, PA and step counts after assessing associations between accelerometer-measured SB, PA and step counts and ASD-related deficiencies.
A total of 93 ASD children, aged 6-9 years, were recruited from the Center for Child and Adolescent Psychology and Behavioral Development of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China. Participants wore an accelerometer for seven consecutive days. Of the original 93, 78 participants' accelerometer-measured valid PA were obtained, and the data were shown as time spent in SB, light, moderate, moderate-to-vigorous and vigorous PA, and step counts. Participants' emotional/behavioral problems were assessed via the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and anxiety symptoms were evaluated by the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). ASD-associated deficiencies include restricted repetitive behaviors (Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised), poor social competence (Social Responsiveness Scale Second Edition) and motor development restrictions (Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire).
Of the 78 participants, daily vigorous PA (VPA) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) averaged 15.62 and 51.95 min, respectively. After adjustment for covariates, SDQ emotional symptoms (β = -0.060, = 0.028) were inversely associated with the average daily minutes in VPA. Meanwhile, SDQ emotional symptoms (β = -0.033, = 0.016) were inversely associated with the average daily MVPA minutes in the crude model. After adjustment for covariates, SCARED somatic/panic (β = -0.007, = 0.040) and generalized anxiety (β = -0.025, = 0.014) were negatively associated with the average daily VPA minutes; SCARED total anxiety (β = -0.006, = 0.029) was conversely associated with daily MVPA duration. After adjustment for covariates, no significant associations between accelerometer-measured SB, PA and step counts and ASD-related deficiencies were found ( > 0.05).
Accelerometer-measured SB, PA and step counts showed no associations with ASD-related deficiencies. On this basis, we further found that the emotional symptoms were inversely associated with VPA and MVPA. These results emphasize the importance of VPA and MVPA in children with ASD. The longitudinally investigations on the directionality of these associations between emotional symptoms with VPA and MVPA are needed in the future.
自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）儿童的情绪/行为状态与久坐行为（SB）、体力活动（PA）和步数之间的关联证据有限。此外，ASD 相关的缺陷可能会影响实际的 PA 水平。我们旨在描述 ASD 儿童的加速度计测量的 SB、PA 和步数，并在评估加速度计测量的 SB、PA 和步数与 ASD 相关缺陷之间的关联后，检查情绪/行为问题与 SB、PA 和步数之间的关联。
共有 93 名 6-9 岁的 ASD 儿童从中山大学儿童与青少年心理学和行为发展中心招募，参与者佩戴加速度计连续 7 天。在最初的 93 名参与者中，有 78 名参与者的加速度计测量的有效 PA 数据可用，数据显示为 SB、轻度、中度、中度至剧烈和剧烈 PA 以及步数的时间。参与者的情绪/行为问题通过《长处与困难问卷》（SDQ）进行评估，焦虑症状通过《儿童焦虑相关情绪障碍筛查量表》（SCARED）进行评估。ASD 相关缺陷包括受限重复行为（修订后的重复行为量表）、社交能力差（第二版社交反应量表）和运动发育受限（发育协调障碍问卷）。
在 78 名参与者中，每日剧烈 PA（VPA）和中度至剧烈 PA（MVPA）平均分别为 15.62 和 51.95 分钟。调整协变量后，SDQ 情绪症状（β=-0.060， =0.028）与 VPA 的平均每日分钟数呈负相关。同时，在未调整协变量的情况下，SDQ 情绪症状（β=-0.033， =0.016）与每日 MVPA 分钟数呈负相关。调整协变量后，SCARED 躯体/惊恐（β=-0.007， =0.040）和广泛性焦虑（β=-0.025， =0.014）与 VPA 的平均每日分钟数呈负相关；SCARED 总焦虑（β=-0.006， =0.029）与每日 MVPA 持续时间呈正相关。调整协变量后，加速度计测量的 SB、PA 和步数与 ASD 相关缺陷之间无显著关联（ > 0.05）。
加速度计测量的 SB、PA 和步数与 ASD 相关缺陷无关。在此基础上，我们进一步发现情绪症状与 VPA 和 MVPA 呈负相关。这些结果强调了 VPA 和 MVPA 在 ASD 儿童中的重要性。未来需要对这些与 VPA 和 MVPA 之间的情绪症状相关的关联的方向性进行纵向研究。
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