Benum Silje Dahl, Aakvik Kristina Anna Djupvik, Mehl Cathrin Vano, Kongsvold Atle, Lydersen Stian, Vollsæter Maria, Mork Paul Jarle, Kajantie Eero, Evensen Kari Anne I
Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
PLoS One. 2025 Jan 7;20(1):e0312875. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0312875. eCollection 2025.
Physical activity (PA) is beneficial for several health outcomes. Adults born with very low birth weight (VLBW<1500g) undertake less PA than those born at term, have poorer motor abilities and may serve as a model on early life origins of PA. We therefore examined whether motor abilities mediate the association between being born with VLBW and device-measured PA. In a joint assessment of two longitudinal birth cohorts from Finland and Norway, PA was measured by two tri-axial accelerometers in 87 adults born preterm with VLBW and 109 controls born at term. We explored the mediating role of motor abilities assessed by standardized tests on the association between VLBW and device-measured PA. To do this, we examined group differences in metabolic equivalent of task (MET) min/day of moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA), light PA and sedentary. Analyses were adjusted for cohort, age and sex. MVPA was 40.4 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 13.3 to 69.4) MET min/day lower in the VLBW group than the control group. This was in part mediated through gross motor abilities, indicated by the indirect effect on the association between VLBW and MVPA being -15.6 (95% CI: -28.5 to -5.4) MET min/day. In conclusion, adults born preterm with VLBW undertake less MVPA than controls born at term, and gross motor abilities mediate this association. Interventions targeting motor abilities should be examined as potential ways to increase PA.
身体活动（PA）对多种健康结局有益。出生时体重极低（VLBW<1500g）的成年人比足月儿进行的PA更少，运动能力更差，可能是PA早期生命起源的一个模型。因此，我们研究了运动能力是否介导了出生时VLBW与设备测量的PA之间的关联。在对来自芬兰和挪威的两个纵向出生队列的联合评估中，通过两个三轴加速度计对87名出生时体重极低的早产儿和109名足月儿对照进行了PAPA测量。我们探讨了通过标准化测试评估的运动能力在VLBW与设备测量的PA之间的关联中的中介作用。为此，我们检查了中度至剧烈身体活动（MVPA）、轻度PA和久坐行为的代谢当量（MET）分钟/天的组间差异。分析对队列、年龄和性别进行了调整。VLBW组的MVPA比对照组低40.4（95%置信区间[CI]：13.3至69.4）MET分钟/天。这部分是通过大运动能力介导的，VLBW与MVPA之间关联的间接效应表明为-15.6（95%CI：-28.5至-5.4）MET分钟/天。总之，出生时体重极低的早产儿比足月儿对照进行的MVPA更少，大运动能力介导了这种关联。应研究针对运动能力的干预措施，作为增加PA的潜在方法。
