147 - Physical Activity in Adults Born Very Preterm or With Very Low Birth Weight and Mediation by Cognitive Function: An Individual Participant Meta-Analysis

Sunday, April 30, 2023

3:30 PM – 6:00 PM ET

Poster Number: 147
Publication Number: 147.362

Kristina Anna Djupvik Aakvik, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Sor-Trondelag, Norway; Silje Dahl Benum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Sor-Trondelag, Norway; Marjaana Tikanmäki, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Pohjois-Pohjanmaa, Finland; Petteri Hovi, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (former National Institute for Health and welfare), Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland; Katri Räikkönen, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland; Sarah L. Harris, University of Otago Christchurch, Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand; Brian Darlow, University of Otago Christchurch, Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand; Marit S.. Indredavik, Norwegian University of Science and technology, Trondheim, Sor-Trondelag, Norway; Stian Lydersen, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Sor-Trondelag, Norway; Paul Jarle Mork, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Sor-Trondelag, Norway; Eero Kajantie, University of Oulu and Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Oulu, Pohjois-Pohjanmaa, Finland; Kari Anne I.. Evensen, NTNU, Trondheim, Sor-Trondelag, Norway

Presenting Author(s)

Kristina Anna Djupvik Aakvik, MSc (she/her/hers)

PhD Candidate
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Trondheim, Sor-Trondelag, Norway

Background:

Being born very preterm (VP < 32 weeks of gestation) or with very low birthweight (VLBW < 1500 g) is associated with lower intelligence quotient (IQ) and executive function. Some studies indicate less physical activity (PA) in preterm young adults, but the relationship between cognitive function and PA in adults born VP/VLBW is unclear.

Objective:

Examine whether being born VP/VLBW is associated with self-reported PA in adulthood and, if so, whether cognitive function mediates this association.

Design/Methods:

From the EU Horizon 2020 project Research on European Children and Adults born Preterm (RECAP Preterm), we included 1644 participants from five prospective cohorts in individual participant data (IPD) analyses: 595 VP/VLBW at mean age 25.6 (SD 3.1) years and 1049 controls at mean age 24.6 (SD 2.1) years. Leisure-time moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) was measured by self-reports. Cognitive function was measured by full scale IQ and the Global Executive Composite (GEC) of the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function – Adult Version (BRIEF-A). We analyzed the association between VP/VLBW and leisure-time MVPA by linear regression and examined the possible mediating role of cognitive function on the association between VP/VLBW and MVPA by Hayes mediation analyses (Figure 1).

Results:

Weekly self-reported leisure-time MVPA was 3.65 (SD 5.02) hours in the VP/VLBW group and 6.09 (SD 3.27) hours in the control group. Mean difference adjusted for cohort, age and sex was -1.39 (95% confidence interval: -1.82 to -0.95) hours (Table 1). Full scale IQ and BRIEF-A GEC did not have a significant effect on the association between VP/VLBW and MVPA in any of the models (Table 2).

Conclusion(s): We found that adults born VP/VLBW report less leisure-time MVPA in adulthood than controls. Cognitive function did not mediate the association between being born VP/VLBW and MVPA. The results show that regardless of cognitive function, PA could be a target for intervention.