Sports participation and preterm birth: a nationwide birth cohort in Japan.

Research investigating associations between preterm birth and physical activity among children born in the 2000s is limited. This study shows that preterm birth was associated with less participation in organized sports during childhood and adolescence than full-term birth, especially in boys, and the participation in organized sports of children born preterm decreased as gestation shortened. During childhood, boys born early term were also less likely to participate in organized sports than boys born full term, suggesting a continuum with preterm births. These findings offer important additional insights into the limited evidence available for predicting future health outcomes for preterm infants.