Influence of History of Bronchiolitis on Health-Related Physical Fitness (Muscle Strength and Cardiorespiratory Fitness) in Children and Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study

A history of bronchiolitis may lead to changes in health-related physical fitness in children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of history of bronchiolitis on health-related physical fitness components (muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness) in children and adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted, and 86 participants (aged 7-14 years; all males) were divided into two groups: a group with (n = 40) and without (n = 46) history of bronchiolitis. Muscle strength was assessed with handgrip and isometric quadriceps strength tests with handheld dynamometers and the five-times sit-to-stand test. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed with the six-minute walk test (6MWT). The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the health-related physical fitness tests between groups and the binary logistic regression model was used to estimate the potential risk or protective factors in participants. No significant differences were observed between the groups in muscle strength tests. Participants without bronchiolitis walked a greater distance in the 6MWT than those with bronchiolitis (<i>p</i> = 0.002), and this appears to reproduce a protective factor in the group without bronchiolitis with an odds ratio of 0.99 [95% confidence interval: 0.98-0.99]. In this study, a history of bronchiolitis appears to influence cardiorespiratory fitness, but not muscle strength, in children and adolescents.