| Title: | Age at puberty and accelerometer-measured physical activity: Findings from two independent UK cohorts |
| Journal: | Annals of Human Biology |
| Published: | 7 May 2020 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32380867/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1080/03014460.2019.1707284 |
| URL: | https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/files/218273723/pub_pa_manuscript_revised_final.pdf |
| Citations: | 2 as of 8 Aug 2024 |
Publication 4007
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: It is unclear if puberty timing influences future physical activity (PA).</p>
AIM: To investigate the association of puberty timing with PA across adolescence and adulthood.</p>
SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Data were from two British cohorts. Participants from an adolescent birth cohort (females = 2349, males = 1720) prospectively reported age at menarche and voice break and had PA recorded by Actigraph accelerometers at ages 14 years and 16 years. A cohort of middle-aged and older adults (40-70 years; females = 48,282; males = 36,112) recalled their age at puberty and had PA (mean acceleration; mg) measured by AxivityAX3 accelerometers.</p>
RESULTS: After adjustment for age, education, smoking and BMI, per 1-year older age at menarche was associated with higher mean counts/minute at age 14 years (0.07 SD counts/minute; 95% CI = 0.04-0.11) with associations attenuated at age 16 years (0.02; -0.03-0.07). Differences in mean acceleration per older year at menarche were close to the null in women aged 40-49 years (0.02 mg; 0.01-0.03), 50-59 years (0.01; 0.00-0.02) and 60-70 years (0.01; 0.00-0.01). Age at voice break and PA associations were close to the null in both cohorts.</p>
CONCLUSION: We found a positive association between puberty timing and PA in females which weakened at older ages and limited evidence of an association at any age in males.</p>
11 Keywords
- Accelerometry
- Adolescent
- Age Factors
- Cohort Studies
- Exercise
- Female
- Humans
- Male
- Menarche
- Puberty
- United Kingdom
4 Authors
- Ahmed Ehakeem
- Celia L. Gregson
- Jon H. Tobias
- Deborah A. Lawlor
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