FitKids - Physical activity from pregnancy to early childhood: the effects on body composition, physical activity and glucose metabolism.

PhD defence by Steffie Vang Gundersen

Assessment Committee

Associate professor Steen Larsen, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen (Chairperson)
Professor Niels Wedderkopp, The Pediatric Research Unit, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense
Professor Kari Anne I. Evensen, Department of Clinical and Molecular, Medicine Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

Supervisors

Associate Professor Grete Katrine Teilmann
Bente Merete Stallknecht
Professor Ellen Christine Leth Løkkegaard
Associate Professor Stig Mølsted
Associate Professor Kasper Ascanius Pilgaard

Department

Department of Clinical Medicine

Graduate Programme

Life Cycle in Medicine

Place

Building: Indgang 50b, Room: Auditoriet, Dyrehavevej 29, 3400 Hillerød

Email address to gain access to the thesis: Steffie0708@gmail.com.
You will either receive a copy of the thesis or be informed where you can read a physical copy.
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Short description of the thesis

Childhood obesity is increasing worldwide, making prevention in the earliest stages of life an important public health priority. This PhD thesis explores the associations between physical activity during pregnancy and the first three years of life and children's body composition, physical activity habits, and glucose metabolism. Using data from the FitMum randomized controlled trial and its one- and three-year follow-up studies, the research found that higher levels of physical activity in early childhood were associated with healthier body composition, more stable physical activity patterns, and more stable glucose metrics at age three. These findings support the importance of early-life physical activity and call for further research to determine whether these associations reflect causal relationships.