title: Early-life predictors of leisure-time physical inactivity in midadulthood: findings from a prospective British birth cohort.
abstract: Much adult physical inactivity research ignores early-life factors from which later influences may originate. In the 1958 British birth cohort (followed from 1958 to 2008), leisure-time inactivity, defined as activity frequency of less than once a week, was assessed at ages 33, 42, and 50 years (n = 12,776). Early-life factors (at ages 0-16 years) were categorized into 3 domains (i.e., physical, social, and behavioral). We assessed associations of adult inactivity 1) with factors within domains, 2) with the 3 domains combined, and 3) allowing for adult factors. At each age, approximately 32% of subjects were inactive. When domains were combined, factors associated with inactivity (e.g., at age 50 years) were prepubertal stature (5% lower odds per 1-standard deviation higher height), hand control/coordination problems (14% higher odds per 1-point increase on a 4-point scale), cognition (10% lower odds per 1-standard deviation greater ability), parental divorce (21% higher odds), institutional care (29% higher odds), parental social class at child's birth (9% higher odds per 1-point reduction on a 4-point scale), minimal parental education (13% higher odds), household amenities (2% higher odds per increase (representing poorer amenities) on a 19-point scale), inactivity (8% higher odds per 1-point reduction in activity on a 4-point scale), low sports aptitude (13% higher odds), and externalizing behaviors (i.e., conduct problems) (5% higher odds per 1-standard deviation higher score). Adjustment for adult covariates weakened associations slightly. Factors from early life were associated with adult leisure-time inactivity, allowing for early identification of groups vulnerable to inactivity.
authors.forename: Snehal M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Pinto Pereira
authors.forename: Leah
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Power
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: Britain; cohort study; leisure-time physical inactivity; life course