Physical Activity And Related Health Factors In Children With Adhd And Neurotypical Controls

PURPOSE: Investigate the associations between daily physical activity and screentime engagement, adiposity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and muscular strength among children with ADHD compared to neurotypical controls. METHODS: Pre-adolescent children (N = 16), aged 6-11 years (10 males, 6 females) completed a cross-sectional study design. Assessments included demographic questionnaires, the ADHD Rating Scale IV, cardiorespiratory fitness obtained via graded VO₂max test, body composition via BMI and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and muscular strength (handheld dynamometry). Average daily screentime and time spent doing physical activity (PA) was self-reported. Fat-Free VO₂ (ml/kg(lean)/min) was calculated using relative VO₂max and lean body mass acquired by BIA. Bivariate Pearson correlations among ADHD percentiles, PA and related habits (screentime, adiposity, fitness, muscular strength) were analyzed. Between-group analyses (ADHD = 10, neurotypical = 6) were conducted to determine differences in PA-related habits among children with ADHD and their neurotypical peers. RESULTS: Correlational analysis revealed average daily screentime (hours) was positively correlated with BIA body fat (%) r = 0.616, p = 0.014, and BMI (%) r = 0.0576, p = 0.019, respectively. Muscular strength (kg) was also positively correlated with lean body mass (g) r = 0.797, p < 0.001, and fat-free VO₂ (ml/kg(lean)/min) r = 0.607, p = 0.016. Independent sample t-tests revealed: neurotypicals (2.17 ± 0.61) had significantly less daily PA time (hours) compared to the ADHD group (2.85 ± 0.75), t(14) = -1.998, p = 0.034; neurotypicals (5.91 ± 0.61) had significantly greater screentime (hours) compared to the ADHD group (4.35 ± 0.94), t(14) = 1.775, p = .026; and neurotypicals (71.35 ± 22.78) had significantly greater BMI (%) compared to the ADHD group (44.06 ± 39.31), t(14) = 1.758, p = 0.05. CONCLUSIONS: These pilot results indicate that children with ADHD have lower BMI percentiles, are engaged in greater amounts of daily physical activity and less daily screen time, compared to their neurotypical peers. Physical activity (PA) has been recommended as a potential cost-effective alternative treatment for children with ADHD. As such, childhood PA guidelines specific to ADHD symptomatology should be developed.