Gender Differences in Physical Fitness among Cameroonian School Children Aged 10 to 15 Years in Yaounde City

Abstract

Background: The level of physical fitness indicates children’s health status and guides them towards sport branches. This crosssectional study aimed at determining the physical fitness of Cameroonian school-children aged 10 to 15 years in Yaounde city by comparing the results according to gender and with European normative values. A total of 504 healthy school children (51.58% females and 48.42% males) regularly attending physical education classes were conveniently selected from a secondary school. Methods: We collected anthropometric and physiological characteristics and the participants completed five physical tests integrated in the EUROFIT battery, namely standing broad jump (SBJ), flexed arm hang (FAH), sit-ups for 30 sec (SU), hand grip strength (HGS), and 10×5-m shuttle run test (10×5-mSRT). Values obtained from the tests were compared according to gender in each age. Results: Boys had a better performance compared with girls in different tests. No significant difference was found between boys and girls aged 10 to 14 years in 10×5-mSRT and from 10 to 12 years regarding HGS. However, performances were similar at 12 years in SBJ, at 12 and 13 years in FAH, and at 11 years in SU. School children in Yaounde city had better performances in SBJ, FAH, and 10×5-mSRT compared to their European counterparts. Conclusions: School-children in Yaounde city presented high physical fitness, and males had a better physical fitness than females aged 10-15. A study including the entire EUROFIT test battery with a great number of participants is needed to provide reference values in this population