Prenatal and childhood growth and physical performance in old age--findings from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study 1934-1944.
Health in adulthood is in part a consequence of development and growth taking place during sensitive periods in early life. It has not been explored previously whether early growth is associated with physical performance in old age from a life course perspective taking into account health-related behavior, biological risk factors, and early life experiences. At a mean age of 71 years, physical performance was assessed using the Senior Fitness Test (SFT) in 1078 individuals belonging to the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study. We used multiple linear regression analysis to assess the association between the SFT physical fitness scores and individual life course measurements. Several adult characteristics were associated with physical performance including socioeconomic status, lifestyle factors, and adult anthropometry. Higher birth weight and length were associated with better physical performance, even after adjusting for potential confounders (all p values <0.05). The strongest individual association between life course measurements and physical performance in old age was found for adult body fat percentage. However, prenatal growth was independently associated with physical performance seven decades later. These findings suggest that physical performance in old age is at least partly programmed in early life.
Chronic Disease Prevention Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland. johan.eriksson@helsinki.fi.|Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland. johan.eriksson@helsinki.fi.|Department of General Practice and Primary Health, Care and Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 20, 00014, Helsinki, Finland. johan.eriksson@helsinki.fi.
Johan G
JG
Eriksson
MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK.
Clive
C
Osmond
Chronic Disease Prevention Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.|Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland.
Mia-Maria
MM
Perälä
Chronic Disease Prevention Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.|Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland.
Minna K
MK
Salonen
Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland.|Department of Social Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Mika
M
Simonen
Age Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
Pertti
P
Pohjolainen
Chronic Disease Prevention Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.|Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, MRC Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Eero
E
Kajantie
Gerontology Research Center and Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.
Taina
T
Rantanen
Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland.|Gerontology Research Center and Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.
Mikaela B
MB
von Bonsdorff
D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D001724:Birth Weight; D001827:Body Height; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development; D005387:Finland; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011247:Pregnancy; D012923:Social Class
Aging; Birth weight; Physical fitness; Physical performance; Prenatal growth; Senior Fitness Test