In a study published in April 2016 in the journal BMC Pediatrics, researchers noted “physical activity (PA) plays a role in the relationship between asthma and respiratory health. [The authors] hypothesized that a low level of PA would be associated with asthma in children and adolescents.”

The study sought to “(1) summarize the evidence available on associations between PA and asthma prevalence in children and adolescents and (2) assess the role of PA in new-onset or incident asthma among children and adolescents.”

The meta-analysis of previously published studies “revealed a risk of new-onset asthma in children with low PA. Three cross-sectional studies identified significant positive associations between childhood asthma or asthma symptoms and low PA.”

The authors conclude that “children and adolescents with low PA levels had an increased risk of new-onset asthma, and some had a higher risk of current asthma/or wheezing; however, there was some heterogeneity among the studies. This review reveals a critical need for future longitudinal assessments of low PA, its mechanisms, and its implications for incident asthma in children.”

The abstract is available online.