Relationship between birth weight and physical fitness of Ellisras rural children aged 8–14 years: Ellisras Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Birth weight (BW) and physical fitness (PF) have long been considered risk factors for noncommunicable diseases and are important health markers at an early age and later in life. This study aimed to assess the relationship between BW and PF among Ellisras rural  children aged 8–14 years. A total of 543 children (300 boys and 243 girls) whose birth weight (BW) were obtained from their health clinic  records, participated in the Ellisras Longitudinal Study (ELS). EUROFIT battery test was carried out by all the children using standard  procedures. The relationship between BW and PF among children with low birth weight (LBW) and normal birth weight (NBW) was  assessed using Pearson moment correlation. The relationship between BW and PF, adjusted for age, gender, and LBW was examined  using linear regression models. Low birth weight prevalence was 11.4% and 13.5% for boys and girls, respectively. Birth weight was  significantly associated with standing long jump (SLJ) both unadjusted (β = 0.003, 95% CI, 0.001–0.005) and adjusted for age and gender (β =0.003, 95% CI, 0.00–0.006). There was an inverse significant (p<0.05) association between shuttle run (SR) (r²= -0.34) and bent arm  hang (BAH) (r²=018) for boys, while girls showed no significant association. Low birth weight children had a low level of muscular  strength, explosive power, and running speed performance compared with NBW children. Further research is needed to assess the  relationship between lipids, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and BW over time in the Ellisras rural population.