Physical Fitness in Spanish Schoolchildren Aged 6–12 Years: Reference Values of the Battery EUROFIT and Associated Cardiovascular Risk

• DOI: 10.1111/josh.12192
• Publication Date: 2014-08-26T03:42:38Z
• Authors: Roberto Gulías‐Go...; Mairena Sánchez‐L...; Ángel Olivas‐Bravo; Montserrat Solera...; Vicente Martínez‐...
• Keywords: Male; Schools; 4. Education; Age Factors; Health Promotion; Body Mass Index; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; Cross-Sectional Studies; Oxygen Consumption; Sex Factors; 0302 clinical medicine; Cardiovascular Diseases; Physical Fitness; Reference Values; Risk Factors; Spain; Prevalence; Humans; Multicenter Studies as Topic; Female; 14. Life underwater; Child; 10. No inequality

ABSTRACTBACKGROUNDPhysical fitness is considered an important indicator of health in children. The aims of this study were to (1) provide sex‐ and age‐specific EUROFIT battery levels of fitness in Spanish children; (2) compare Spanish children's fitness levels with those of children from other countries; and (3) determine the percentage of Spanish children with cardiovascular risk associated with low cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF).METHODSPhysical fitness was assessed using the EUROFIT tests in 1725 children, aged 6 to 12, from Castilla‐La Mancha, Spain. We derived specific values for physical fitness using LMS method. FITNESSGRAM 2010 criteria were used to estimate the percentage of children with cardiovascular risk associated with low CRF.RESULTSBoys scored higher in all the physical fitness tests, except for the flexibility test. Physical fitness improved as age increased, except for flexibility, which worsened in boys, and VO2max, which decreased in both sexes. The prevalence of boys and girls with cardiovascular risk associated to low CRF was 13% and 26%, respectively.CONCLUSIONSSpecific fitness test scores for children and adolescents can represent the fitness status of schoolchildren accurately. Schools need to make efforts to improve the fitness level of the schoolchildren to prevent cardiovascular risk.