RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THORACIC EXPANDABILITY AND PHYSICAL CONDITION IN CHILDREN

S. Tonguino-Rosero^1,2, M.d.M. Vergara-Gonzalez¹, A. Florez-Idarraga¹, A. Girón-Correa¹

Background: Adequate physical condition has been associated with better lung volumes and capacities, however, in the pediatric population its relationship with thoracic expansion capacity is unknown.

Purpose: To analyze the relationship between thoracic expandability and physical condition in children without pulmonary pathologies.

Methods: Cross-sectional and analytical study endorsed by the ethics committee. An intentional non-probabilistic sampling was carried out by criterion and convenience, children between 8 and 11 years old without a history of pulmonary pathologies were included from a school in Cali-Colombia between January and May 2018. Thoracic expandability was measured with cirtometry at the axillary and xiphoid levels using the Bockehauer et al protocol, physical condition with the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) following the recommendations of the American Thorax Association and the level of physical activity was evaluated with the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C). Anthropometric measurements were taken, such as weight, height and BMI-for-age. The data was analyzed in Stata 14®. To evaluate the normality of the variables, the Shapiro Willk test was used. And the correlation between the variables was analyzed with the Pearson (r) and Spearman (rs) correlation coefficient according to the behavior of the variables.

Results: 73 children were included, most of them girls (71.2%), with normal BMI-for-age (50.7%), mean height of 1.4 m (± 01), median weight of 36 kg (IQR 16). Average axillary cytometry 6.0cm (± 2) and median xiphoid cytometry 5.3cm (IQR 2.5). Average distance traveled by 6MWT 576.2m (± 52.8). Approximately half of the population (49.3%) was classified as having a high level of physical activity. A direct and significant correlation was found between xiphoid cytometry and 6MCT (rs = 0.31 p = 0.0076).

Conclusion(s): Xiphoid thoracic expandability is related to physical condition in children with no pulmonary history. This result is relevant to promote public policies that improve physical activity levels in healthy children and in those with respiratory system deficiencies.

Implications: This study reaffirms the benefits of physical exercise in the pediatric population, especially to improve characteristics of lung function such as thoracic expandability.
And it becomes an input to carry out experimental studies to demonstrate the effect of physical exercise in children with restrictive lung diseases.

Funding, acknowledgements: The present work was supported by the  University Escuela Nacional del Deporte Cali-Colombia

Keywords: Thoracic Wall, Walk Test, Child

Topic: Paediatrics

Did this work require ethics approval? Yes

Institution: University Escuela Nacional del Deporte Cali-Colombia

Committee: Ethics committee of the University Escuela Nacional del Deporte Cali-Colombia

Ethics number: Memo 4.3-16-01-237