title: Asthma and physical activity in multiracial girls from three US sites.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Studies comparing physical activity levels in children with and without asthma have had mixed results. Our objective was to investigate the association between asthma diagnosis and physical activity and to examine differences in these associations by race/ethnicity, weight status and caregiver education.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the association between asthma (defined as report of physician-diagnosed asthma with at least one asthma related symptom) and measures of physical and sedentary activity in a study of 6- to 8-year-old girls in the Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Project. We compared reported activity and pedometer measurements among girls with and without asthma, and examined modification of these associations by race/ethnicity, weight status and caregiver education.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Girls (n = 1182) were included with 33.5% White, 4.8% Asian, 30.6% non Hispanic Black and 30.7% Hispanic. Asthma was present in 16.2% of girls. Overall, 38% of girls reported no participation in organized recreational activities and 58% had >2 h/day of television, video game and computer time combined. Girls with asthma whose parents were less educated reported fewer pedometer steps and less non-scheduled activity than girls without asthma with similar caregiver education level. Among girls with asthma, those on a controller medication had higher levels of sedentary activity and more structured physical activity but were less likely to report high intensity physical activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among girls whose parents are less educated, girls with asthma may have lower physical activity levels than girls without asthma. Use of a controller medication may be related to physical and sedentary activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York, NY , USA .
authors.forename: Nita
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vangeepuram
authors.forename: Kathleen J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: McGovern
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Teitelbaum
authors.forename: Maida P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Galvez
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Pinney
authors.forename: Frank M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Biro
authors.forename: Lawrence H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Kushi
authors.forename: Mary S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Wolff
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D017028:Caregivers; D002648:Child; D003371:Cough / Q000175:diagnosis; D004522:Educational Status; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009043:Motor Activity; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000175:diagnosis; D057185:Sedentary Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology