PRE-PANDEMIC CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS LEVELS PREDICTS HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IN CHILDREN AT POST-PANDEMIC COVID-19 SOCIAL DISTANCING

The study purpose is to identify whether children's cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) level in pre-pandemic COVID-19 period is a (3 year) longitudinal predictor of health-related quality of life (HQoL) in post-pandemic period considering age, body mass index (BMI) and sex as adjusting factors. It was hypothesized that there is a positive association between CRF and HQoL over time. The sample consisted of 32 students, aged 6 to 13, in Brazil southern. PROESP-BR and KIDSCREEN-27 protocols were applied at pre-pandemic COVID-19 (2019) and at post-pandemic distancing ends (2022). The results indicate that CRF is a predictor variable with a longitudinal effect on overall HQoL (β=15.74; p=0.005), and in specific domains: body and physical (β=4.14; p=0.003), psychological (β= 4.58; p=0.054), social/peer support (β=2.11; p=0.041) and in the school environment (β=1.85; p=0.043). It is possible to conclude that higher levels of CRF in the pre-pandemic period lead to better HQoL in the post-pandemic times.