The present study summarises the work developed by the ALPHA (Assessing Levels of Physical Activity) study and describes the procedures followed to select the tests included in the ALPHA ...health-related fitness test battery for children and adolescents. The authors reviewed physical fitness and health in youth findings from cross-sectional studies. The authors also performed three systematic reviews dealing with (1) the predictive validity of health-related fitness, (2) the criterion validity of field-based fitness tests and (3) the reliability of field-based fitness tests in youth. The authors also carried out 11-methodological studies to determine the criterion validity and the reliability of several field-based fitness tests for youth. Finally, the authors performed a study in the school setting to examine the reliability, feasibility and safety of the selected tests. The selected fitness tests were (1) the 20 m shuttle run test to assess cardiorespiratory fitness; (2) the handgrip strength and (3) standing broad jump to assess musculoskeletal fitness, and (4) body mass index, (5) skinfold thickness and (5) waist circumference to assess body composition. When there are time limits, the authors propose the high-priority ALPHA health-related fitness test battery, which comprises all the evidence-based fitness tests except the measurement of the skinfold thickness. The time required to administer this battery to a group of 20 youth by one physical education teacher is less than 2 h. In conclusion, the ALPHA fitness tests battery is valid, reliable, feasible and safe for the assessment of health-related physical fitness in children and adolescents to be used for health monitoring purposes at population level.
Abstract
The role of polymorphism rs9939609 of the
FTO
gene has been related with fat mass and cardiovascular risk in adults, but it remains unclear in children and adolescents. Hence, the main aim ...of this study was to determine the
FTO
polymorphism effects on body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), physical activity (PA), inflammatory markers, and cardiovascular risk both in cross‐sectional analysis and after two‐years of follow‐up in children and adolescents. A total of 2129 participants were included in this study. The rs9939609 polymorphism was genotyped. Body composition measurements, CRF, and moderate‐to‐vigorous PA (MVPA) were determined at baseline and after two‐year of follow‐up. Moreover, plasma leptin and adiponectin were also determined as inflammatory markers. Furthermore, an index of cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVDRF‐I) was calculated. Codominant (TT vs. TA vs. AA) and dominant (AA+AT vs. TT) models were applied for statistical analysis. The results showed a main effect of the
FTO
genotype on body composition measures in both first and third year (
p
< 0.05), with lower adiposity in TT compared with AA or AA+AT group. These differences were maintained after accounting for pubertal maturity, sex, age, VO
2
max, and MVPA. Moreover, lower leptin level was observed in TT compared to AA+AT group in the third year. An interaction in Gene*Time*Sex was found in height and neck circumference in dominant model (
p
= 0.047;
p
= 0.020, respectively). No differences were found in CRF, MVPA nor CVDRF‐I between groups. Hence, homozygous TT allele could be a protective factor against weight gain from early childhood.
The aim was to examine the bidirectional association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and fatness in a 2‐year longitudinal study conducted in young people. A total of 1082 children (512 ...females) and 727 adolescents (342 females) with complete data at baseline and follow‐up were included. CRF was determined by the 20‐m shuttle run test. Height and weight were measured, and body mass index and fat mass index (kg/m2) were calculated. Triceps and subscapular skinfolds were assessed to compute body fat percentage. Bidirectionality was tested by including CRF and each fatness index as exposures and outcomes, alternatively, in different regression models. CRF was prospectively associated with fatness index levels (ß from −0.186 to −0.528; P < .001), remaining significant in children after adjusting for baseline fatness indices. Fatness indices were prospectively associated with CRF (ß from −0.207 to −0.479; P < .001), with no substantial changes observed in children and female adolescents when baseline CRF was considered. Changes in CRF were prospectively associated with several fatness indices, regardless of body fatness at baseline (ß from −0.062 to −0.220; P < .05). Body fatness changes were associated with future CRF levels, independently of baseline CRF, especially in children of both sexes and male adolescents (ß from −0.079 to −0.260; P < .05). Overall, a bidirectional association was observed between CRF and fatness in children and adolescents. The attainment of optimal CRF and fatness levels in early ages should be promoted since it could result in favorable future fatness and CRF levels, respectively, which are two key determinants of health status.
Abstract Objectives In childhood (>6 years-old) and adolescence, fitness testing is feasible, reliable and related to later health. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility and ...reliability of a field-based fitness-test battery in preschool children. Design Repeated measures. Methods A total of 161 preschoolers aged 3 to 5 years participated in the study. Anthropometry, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength and motor fitness were tested twice (2 weeks apart) using weight, height, waist circumference, PREFIT 20 m shuttle run, handgrip strength, standing long jump, 4 × 10 m shuttle run and one-leg stance tests, respectively. Results The main results indicated that all tests are feasible and highly reliable (mean differences, weight = 0.04 kg, height = 0.22 cm, waist circumference = −0.08 cm, PREFIT 20 m shuttle run = 2.00 laps, handgrip strength = −0.24 kg and 4 × 10 m shuttle run = 0.12 s), in preschool children, except for the standing long jump test and one-leg stance test (mean differences of −7.31 cm and 8.01 s). After some methodological adaptations, reliability for standing long jump was improved in a replication study (i.e. from −7 to −2 cm). We observed evidence of heteroscedasticity in the 4 × 10 m shuttle run and one-leg stance tests. Conclusions The PREFIT battery is a feasible and reliable tool to assess physical fitness in preschool children yet standing long jump has shown mixed findings and requires further studies. The one-leg stance test showed poor reliability in our study and if confirmed by future studies, its use in 3 to 5 years-old would not be recommended. Future studies should consider the mean differences provide in this study to explain the changes in test performance.
Trajectories of physical activity and sedentary time (SED) may differ between subgroups of youth. The aim of this study was to identify group‐based dual trajectories of physical activity and SED and ...explore individual, social, and environmental correlates of these trajectories. Longitudinal data (three time points, baseline 2011‐2012) of Spanish youth (n = 1597, mean age = 11.94 ± 2.52, 50.9% boys) were used. Moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and SED were assessed objectively at each time point, and 21 potential correlates were self‐reported at baseline. Parallel process growth mixture models identified shared categorical latent groups, adjusting for school and age. Multinomial logistic regression models identified baseline correlates of a given trajectory. Four shared categorical latent groups were identified: (1) stable MVPA and decreasing SED (4%); (2) stable MVPA and increasing SED (3%); (3) consistently higher MVPA (18%); and (4) stable low MVPA and slight increase in SED (75%). Multinomial logistic regression models with group 3 as reference found: negative affect (RRR = 0.90, 95% CI 0.84‐0.97), parental screen‐time rules (RRR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.00‐1.33), and household media equipment (RRR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.05‐1.30) predicted likelihood of group 1 membership; cons of reducing SED (RRR = 2.70, 95% CI 1.77‐4.10) predicted likelihood of group 2 membership; and co‐participation in physical activity with friends (RRR = 0.80, 95% CI 0.69‐0.94), fathers’ modeling of TV viewing (RRR = 1.22, 95% CI 1.02‐1.47), and household media equipment (RRR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.02‐1.31) predicted likelihood of group 4 membership. Results suggest that strategies to improve MVPA and SED behaviors among youth may need to be multifaceted, targeting all levels of influence.
No studies have analyzed the longitudinal associations of change in physical fitness components and obesity with academic performance. The aim of the study was to examine longitudinal associations of ...changes in physical fitness components and body mass index with academic performance among youth, and whether the physical fitness components are moderators of the longitudinal association between obesity and academic performance in youth. Longitudinal analyses (2 years) included 1802 youths. Physical fitness components were assessed following the ALPHA health‐related fitness test battery. Academic performance was assessed via school records. Youth in the persistently high cardiorespiratory fitness and motor ability categories (ie, fit at baseline and at 2‐year follow‐up) had higher academic performance at follow‐up than those in the persistently low category. Further, youth with normal weight at baseline and overweight/obesity at follow‐up had lower academic performance scores at follow‐up compared to those with normal weight. Also, cardiorespiratory fitness may ameliorate the negative influence of excess body mass index on academic performance at follow‐up. Promoting physical activity programs at school that include both aerobic exercise and motor tasks to improve physical fitness and reduce body mass index may not only improve physical health, but also contribute toward successful academic development.
Background
The combined effect of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and body mass index (BMI) on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in young people remains to be fully determined. We examined the ...individual and combined associations of CRF and BMI with clustered CVD risk factors, and the mediator role of BMI in the association between CRF and clustered CVD risk factors in children and adolescents.
Methods
237 children (111 girls) and 260 adolescents (120 girls) were included in this cross‐sectional study. Height and weight were assessed and BMI was calculated. A CVD risk factor index (CVDRF‐I) was computed from: waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and glucose. CRF was assessed using the 20‐m shuttle run test. Regression analysis, analysis of covariance and mediation analysis (Baron and Kenny procedures) were used to test the independent and combined effect of CRF and BMI on CVDRF‐I, and to test mediation hypothesis, respectively.
Results
CRF was negatively associated with CVDRF‐I (all P < 0.05); however, after adjusting for BMI the associations were no longer significant in children and adolescents of both sex groups. Contrary, the association between BMI and CVDRF‐I was independent of CRF (all P < 0.001). The effect of CRF on CVDRF‐I was mediated by BMI. The percentage of the total effect of CRF on CVDRF‐I mediated by BMI for boys and girls children and boys and girls adolescents were 79.5%, 100%, 81.2% and 55.7%, respectively.
Conclusions
BMI is an independent predictor of CVDRF‐I and a mediator of the association between CRF and CVDRF‐I in children and adolescents. These results help to clarify the associations between CRF, weight status and cardiovascular health, suggesting that future CVD health would benefit from maintaining an optimal weight status.
Castro-Piñero, J, Ortega, FB, Artero, EG, Girela-Rejón, MJ, Mora, J, Sjöström, M, and Ruiz, JR. Assessing muscular strength in youthusefulness of standing long jump as a general index of muscular ...fitness. J Strength Cond Res 24(7)1810-1817, 2010-The purpose of the present study was to examine the association among different measures of lower body muscular strength in children, and the association between measures of lower- and upper-body muscular strength. The study population comprises 94 (45 girls) healthy Caucasian children aged 6-17 years. Children performed several lower body explosive muscular strength tests (i.e., standing long jump SLJ, vertical jump, squat jump, and countermovement jump) and upper body muscular strength tests (i.e., throw basketball, push-ups, and isometric strength exercises). The association among the study tests was analyzed by multiple regression. The SLJ was strongly associated with other lower body muscular strength tests (R = 0.829-0.864), and with upper body muscular strength tests (R = 0.694-0.851). The SLJ test might be therefore considered a general index of muscular fitness in youth. The SLJ test is practical, time efficient, and low in cost and equipment requirements.
This study examines trends in the rates of active commuting to school (ACS) in Spanish children (n = 18 343; 8.93 ± 1.68) and adolescents (n = 18 438; 14.11 ± 1.58) aged 6‐18 years from 2010 to 2017. ...Given the study period included the economic crisis in Spain (2008‐2013), the second aim of this study was to compare ACS rates during and after the economic crisis. Data were obtained from 28 studies conducted across Spain. The overall trends in ACS were evaluated using multilevel logistic regression analysis. Among Spanish children and adolescents, the rates of ACS to school ranged around 60% between 2010 and 2017. The rates of ACS in Spanish youth did not change significantly during the 2010‐2017 period, except a sporadic increase in the rate of ACS in adolescents in 2012‐2013. No significant association between the ACS and the economic crisis time period in youth was found. As conclusion, the ACS remains stable in Spain during the last decade, which is a promising result regarding the evidenced decreasing trend in many countries. Further educational and policy strategies are important to continue promoting this behavior in children and adolescents in the long term.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, entire populations were instructed to live in home-confinement to prevent the expansion of the disease. Spain was one of the countries with the strictest conditions, as ...outdoor physical activity was banned for nearly two months. This study aimed to analyse the changes in physical activity and sedentary behaviours in Spanish university students before and during the confinement by COVID-19 with special focus on gender. We also analysed enjoyment, the tools used and motivation and impediments for doing physical activity. An online questionnaire, which included the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form and certain "ad hoc" questions, was designed. Students were recruited by distributing an invitation through the administrative channels of 16 universities and a total of 13,754 valid surveys were collected. Overall, university students reduced moderate (-29.5%) and vigorous (-18.3%) physical activity during the confinement and increased sedentary time (+52.7%). However, they spent more time on high intensity interval training (HIIT) (+18.2%) and mind-body activities (e.g., yoga) (+80.0%). Adaptation to the confinement, in terms of physical activity, was handled better by women than by men. These results will help design strategies for each gender to promote physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour during confinement periods.
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