Abstract
Material and Method This is a prospective, cross-sectional, and correlational study with a probabilistic sampling in which 150 teenagers from three different high schools from the city of Toluca, Mexico, aged 15–17, were assessed. Objective To determine if weight, age, and gender have an influence on physical fitness evaluated with the EUROFIT and ALPHA-FITNESS batteries. Results Women have a higher overweight and obesity rate than men (3 : 1). Adolescents who have normal weight have regular physical fitness (74.9%). When comparing genders we found that men have a higher mean than women in the tests, except for skinfold thickness and waist circumference. Age was only correlated with the plate tapping test (p = 0.001). There are significant differences in the standing broad jump test and the Course-Navette of the EUROFIT and ALPHA-FITNESS batteries (p = 0.000). Conclusions It is likely that regular physical activity, and not normal weight, helps generate healthy physical fitness. Male subjects had a higher mean than women, reporting a better physical fitness and more frequent physical activity.
Highlights
Physical fitness is defined as the capability of an individual to carry out their everyday activities without excessive fatigue and with enough spare energy to enjoy their free time and to solve unusual [1] situations
It is argued that physical inactivity that starts at school tends to continue until adulthood [3] and that low physical fitness in kids and teenagers is a risk factor for future development of cardiovascular diseases at later stages in life [4]
It is important to point out that all the subjects reported regular physical activity when the result showed that 71.4% of men and 31.3% of women did regular physical activity
Summary
Physical fitness is defined as the capability of an individual to carry out their everyday activities without excessive fatigue and with enough spare energy to enjoy their free time and to solve unusual [1] situations. It is regarded as an integrative measure of most of the functions and structures that take part when doing exercise or any physical activity. This figure reaches 30% [3, 4] in Latin America [2, 3]. It is argued that physical inactivity that starts at school tends to continue until adulthood [3] and that low physical fitness in kids and teenagers is a risk factor for future development of cardiovascular diseases at later stages in life [4]
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