title: An exploratory study of the association between physical activity, cardiovascular fitness and body size in children with Down syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the association between physical activity, cardiovascular fitness and body size among children with Down syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Physical activity, cardiovascular fitness and body size were measured by accelerometry, maximal fitness test and anthropometric measurements (BMI, waist circumference), respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen children with Down syndrome (8 boys, 6 girls; mean age 12.9 years) participated. There was no significant correlation between physical activity and cardiovascular fitness or physical activity and body size. Children with Down syndrome who were fitter, had lower BMIs (r = -0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.41 to -0.93) and smaller waist circumference (r = -0.75, 95% CI -0.36 to -0.92).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preliminary evidence suggests physical activity may not be associated with either body size or fitness in children with Down syndrome. Body size appears to be inversely related to fitness in children with Down syndrome.
authors.affiliation: a School of Allied Health, La Trobe University , Melbourne , Victoria , Australia.|b Northern Health , Epping , Victoria , Australia.
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shields
authors.affiliation: c Division of Physiotherapy , Trinity College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland , and.
authors.forename: Juliette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hussey
authors.affiliation: d Department of Paediatrics , Trinity College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland.
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: c Division of Physiotherapy , Trinity College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland , and.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gormley
authors.affiliation: d Department of Paediatrics , Trinity College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland.
authors.forename: Hilary
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hoey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D049628:Body Size; D002648:Child; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010809:Physical Fitness
keywords: Accelerometry; body mass index; intellectual disability; maximal fitness test; waist circumference