Abstract
The aim of the study was to evaluate physical fitness (PF) and identify its anthropometric and lifestyle determinants in a sample of Greek schoolchildren. The study sample consisted of 335,810 schoolchildren (♂: 51.3%, 6-18 years old). Students' anthropometric parameters and PF levels-assessed via the Eurofit test battery-were measured by trained physical education teachers and evaluated according to the available norms, while their lifestyle habits were assessed through a questionnaire. In all applied PF tests, students' performance was negatively associated with the presence of obesity and central obesity, defined through international criteria for body mass index and waist to height ratio, respectively. According to multiple logistic regression analysis, the presence of overweight/obesity [odds ratio (OR): 4.43, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.98-4.93], low adherence to the MD (KIDMED ≤ 3) (OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.09-1.48), and increased time spent in sedentary activities (>2 h per day) (OR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.03-1.29) were positively associated with poor PF, after adjusting for age and sex. In contrast, for every 1 day increase in the weekly frequency of engagement in athletic activity, the probability of poor PF decreased by 26% (OR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.72-0.77). In a similar model, the presence of central obesity emerged as an even stronger possible predictor of poor PF (OR: 5.20, 95% CI: 4.66-5.78), compared to the presence of general obesity. Higher general or abdominal adiposity, as well as the adoption of a low-quality diet and a sedentary lifestyle, is strongly associated with low PF levels during childhood.
Highlights
Physical fitness (PF) is defined as “the ability to carry out daily tasks with vigor and alertness, without undue fatigue and with ample energy to enjoy leisure-time pursuits and to meet unforeseen emergencies” [1]
The major findings from our data are that the presence of obesity and central obesity are both negatively associated with all the components of PF that we examined and are the most aggravating factors responsible for total low PF, accompanied by lack of engagement in physical activity, poor dietary habits, and sedentariness
Excess body weight was associated with poor PF, a fact that is in accordance with other studies supporting that overweight or obese children are not sufficiently active and appear to be less physically fit
Summary
Physical fitness (PF) is defined as “the ability to carry out daily tasks with vigor and alertness, without undue fatigue and with ample energy to enjoy leisure-time pursuits and to meet unforeseen emergencies” [1]. According to accumulating epidemiologic evidence, high PF level is related to a favorable body composition, improved skeletal health, protection against cardiometabolic risk factors (e.g., hypertension and dyslipidemia), as well as improved mood, psychological health, academic performance, and quality of life [5]. Worldwide data indicate significantly low percentages of children who are classified as physically fit. A recent systematic review which included data from 50 countries indicated extremely low levels of fitness for children and youth aged 9–17 years, especially in the South America and South European countries [8]. In Greece, Tambalis and his colleagues [9] have demonstrated a significant increase in the percentage of children classified in the lowest quartile of aerobic performance from 21 to 48.2% in girls and from 25.7 to 38.7% in boys, during an 11-year period (1997–2007). Promoting PF in childhood, through identifying and intervening on its modifiable determinants, is crucial for public health strategies aiming at promoting the health of the pediatric population
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