ASSOCIATION BETWEEN LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND BLOOD PRESSURE VALUES IN PRESCHOOL AND PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN

Abstract

There is very little concrete evidence of the association between levels of physical activity among preschool children and the risk indicators for cardiovascular disease. Research which involved primary school children has provided contradictory findings on the association between physical activity and blood pressure values. Analyses carried out in review studies and meta-analyses published during the past decade are mildly more in favor of aerobic physical activity as a means of decreasing both systolic and diastolic blood pressure values in children when compared to resistance training. The level of physical activity of preschool and primary school children can increase with an accompanying increase in spontaneous physical activity, organized physical education programs, or sports activities. There is a broad spectrum of various activities applicable in practice which can lead to a decrease in the overall duration of sedentary activities to less than two hours a day (including a decrease in the use of smart phones, tablets, consoles and computers for the purpose of entertainment, texting, and social networking, reduced time spent watching television programs, etc.). In cases when elevated blood pressure values are diagnosed among preschool and primary school children, an increase in physical activity accompanied by a decrease in sedentary activities during free time should be the primary strategy of intervention in mild cases, and a complementary and irreplaceable strategy in cases where pharmacological treatment is necessary.