David Jiménez-Pavón

Field-based fitness assessment in young people: the ALPHA health-related fitness test battery for children and adolescents

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.

Influence of socioeconomic factors on fitness and fatness in Spanish adolescents: The AVENA study

OBJECTIVE This study was to examine the influence of socioeconomic status on fitness and fatness in Spanish adolescents. SUBJECTS AND METHODS A total of 1 795 adolescents (833 boys) aged 12.5-18.5 years from the AVENA study participated in this study. The following physical fitness components were assessed: muscular strength (standing long jump), speed-agility (4 × 10 m shuttle run) and cardiorespiratory fitness (20 m shuttle run). Total and central body fat was assessed using skinfold thickness and waist circumference, respectively. Both parents reported their educational and professional level. RESULTS Girls with higher paternal educational level and boys with higher either maternal or paternal professional level had higher muscular strength levels (all P<0.05). Speed-agility and cardiorespiratory fitness were not associated with parental educational or professional levels in boys. In contrast, girls with higher paternal educational level or higher parental professional level had higher levels in both fitness components (all P<0.05). A higher maternal educational level was associated with lower total and central body fat in boys (all P<0.05), but not in girls. We observed a small effect size (Cohens d∼0.2) in most of these associations. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest modest associations of high socioeconomic status with better fitness and fatness levels in Spanish adolescents. These associations greatly depend on the socioeconomic status and fitness parameters studied.

Health-related fitness in adolescents: underweight, and not only overweight, as an influencing factor. The AVENA study

This study investigated differences in health‐related fitness (20‐m shuttle run, handgrip, bent arm hang, standing long jump, shuttle run 4 × 10 m and sit and reach tests) in 2474 Spanish adolescents (1196 boys and 1278 girls; age 13–18.5 years) classed as underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese according to body mass index. Body fat and fat‐free mass were derived from skinfold thickness. The prevalence of underweight was higher than obesity in girls (4.8% vs 3.0%, respectively; P<0.05) and the opposite in boys (3.9% vs 5.8%, respectively; P<0.05). Underweight was associated with a higher performance in the bent arm hang test in girls (P<0.05) and a lower performance in handgrip in both genders (P<0.01) compared with normal weight. Overweight and obese adolescents presented a lower performance in 20‐m shuttle run, bent arm hang, standing long jump and shuttle run 4 × 10 m tests (P<0.001), but a higher performance in handgrip strength (P<0.001) compared with normal weight. In weight‐bearing tests, the association became non‐significant after adjusting for fat mass. In conclusion, not only overweight and obesity but also underweight seem to be determinants of health‐related fitness in adolescents. The associations could be related to differences in body composition.

Secular trends in health-related physical fitness in Spanish adolescents: The AVENA and HELENA Studies

We analysed the secular trends in health-related physical fitness in Spanish adolescents between 2001-2002 and 2006-2007. Two representative population studies were conducted 5 years apart in adolescents (12.5-17.5 years) from Zaragoza (Spain) that participated in the AVENA study in 2001-2002 and in the HELENA-CSS study in 2006-2007. Both studies used the same tests to assess physical fitness: the handgrip strength, bent arm hang, standing broad jump, 4×10m shuttle run and 20m shuttle run tests. Performance in 4×10m shuttle run and 20m shuttle run tests was higher in 2006-2007 (Cohens d ranging from 0.2 to 0.4, p<0.05), whereas performance in handgrip strength and standing broad jump tests was lower in 2006-2007 (Cohens d ranging from 0.3 to 1.1, p<0.001). Adjustment for age, pubertal status, fat mass, fat free mass and parental education did not alter the results. The odds ratio (OR) of meeting the FITNESSGRAM Standards for healthy cardiorespiratory fitness was higher in 2006-2007 in both boys (OR, 95% CI: 2.123, 1.157-3.908) and girls (OR, 95% CI: 2.420, 1.377-4.255). The results indicate that levels of both speed/agility and cardiorespiratory fitness were higher in 2006-2007 than in 2001-2002, whereas muscular strength components were lower in 2006-2007.

Sedentary behaviours and socio-economic status in Spanish adolescents: the AVENA study

BACKGROUND This study aimed to describe the influence of socio-economic status (SES) on the prevalence sedentary behaviours among Spanish adolescents. METHODS Cross-sectional data from Spanish adolescents from the Alimentación y Valoración del Estado Nutricional de los Adolescentes (AVENA) Study (2002). A national representative sample of 1776 adolescents aged 13-18.5 years provided information about time spent watching television (TV), playing with computer or videogames and studying. Parental education and occupation were assessed as SES. Participants were categorized by gender, age, parental education and occupation. Logistic regression models were used. RESULTS No gender differences were found for TV viewing. For computer and videogames use (weekdays), more boys played >3 h/day (P < 0.001), whereas a higher percentage of girls reported studying >3 h/day (P < 0.001). Among boys, parental education and occupation were inversely associated with TV viewing, parental occupation directly associated with study and maternal education inversely with computer and videogames use during weekdays (all P < 0.05). For girls, parental occupation was inversely associated with TV viewing. CONCLUSION Spanish adolescents presented different sedentary patterns according to age, gender and SES. Boys reported more time engaged in electronic games, whereas girls reported more time studying. Parental occupation had more influence than parental education on the time spent in sedentary behaviours.

Assessing Health-Related Fitness Tests in the School Setting: Reliability, Feasibility and Safety; The ALPHA Study

The aim of this study was to determine the reliability, feasibility and safety of a health-related fitness test battery administered by Physical Education (PE) teachers in the school setting. Six PE teachers, from three primary schools and three secondary schools, assessed twice (7 days apart) the 20 m shuttle run, handgrip and standing long jump tests, as well as weight, stature, triceps and subscapular thickness and waist circumference in 58 children (age: 6-11 yr) and 80 adolescents (age: 12-18 yr). Feasibility and safety were assessed by researches by means of direct observation. Significant inter-trial differences were found for the standing long jump test (3.8+/-12.7 cm, P<0.05) and for stature (0.73+/-0.8 cm, P<0.001) in children, and for waist circumference in both children and adolescents (-0.82+/-1.2 cm and -0.35+/-0.8 cm respectively, P=0.001). The feasibility and safety items assessed presented a successful answer. Therefore, the results indicate that health-related fitness tests administered by PE teachers are reliable, feasible and safe to be performed in the school setting.

Physical activity and clustered cardiovascular disease risk factors in young children: a cross-sectional study (the IDEFICS study)

BackgroundThe relevance of physical activity (PA) for combating cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in children has been highlighted, but to date there has been no large-scale study analyzing that association in children aged ≤9 years of age. This study sought to evaluate the associations between objectively-measured PA and clustered CVD risk factors in a large sample of European children, and to provide evidence for gender-specific recommendations of PA.MethodsCross-sectional data from a longitudinal study in 16,224 children aged 2 to 9 were collected. Of these, 3,120 (1,016 between 2 to 6 years, 2,104 between 6 to 9 years) had sufficient data for inclusion in the current analyses. Two different age-specific and gender-specific clustered CVD risk scores associated with PA were determined. First, a CVD risk factor (CRF) continuous score was computed using the following variables: systolic blood pressure (SBP), total triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) ratio, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and sum of two skinfolds (score CRFs). Secondly, another CVD risk score was obtained for older children containing the score CRFs + the cardiorespiratory fitness variable (termed score CRFs + fit). Data used in the current analysis were derived from the IDEFICS (‘Identification and prevention of Dietary- and lifestyle-induced health EFfects In Children and infantS’) study.ResultsIn boys <6 years, the odds ratios (OR) for CVD risk were elevated in the least active quintile of PA (OR: 2.58) compared with the most active quintile as well as the second quintile for vigorous PA (OR: 2.91). Compared with the most active quintile, older children in the first, second and third quintiles had OR for CVD risk score CRFs + fit ranging from OR 2.69 to 5.40 in boys, and from OR 2.85 to 7.05 in girls.ConclusionsPA is important to protect against clustering of CVD risk factors in young children, being more consistent in those older than 6 years. Healthcare professionals should recommend around 60 and 85 min/day of moderate-to-vigorous PA, including 20 min/day of vigorous PA.Please see related commentary: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/11/173.

Muscular fitness, fatness and inflammatory biomarkers in adolescents

Metabolic and cardiovascular diseases involve an inflammatory process that begins early in life. Muscular fitness has been inversely associated with cardiometabolic risk factors in adolescents, including inflammatory biomarkers. More research is needed to evaluate whether the influence of muscular fitness on chronic inflammation is independent of cardiorespiratory fitness and fatness.

Sedentary behaviours and its association with bone mass in adolescents: the HELENA cross-sectional study.

BackgroundWe aimed to examine whether time spent on different sedentary behaviours is associated with bone mineral content (BMC) in adolescents, after controlling for relevant confounders such as lean mass and objectively measured physical activity (PA), and if so, whether extra-curricular participation in osteogenic sports could have a role in this association.MethodsParticipants were 359 Spanish adolescents (12.5-17.5 yr, 178 boys,) from the HELENA-CSS (2006–07). Relationships of sedentary behaviours with bone variables were analysed by linear regression. The prevalence of low BMC (at least 1SD below the mean) and time spent on sedentary behaviours according to extracurricular sport participation was analysed by Chi-square tests.ResultsIn boys, the use of internet for non-study was negatively associated with whole body BMC after adjustment for lean mass and moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA). In girls, the time spent studying was negatively associated with femoral neck BMC. Additional adjustment for lean mass slightly reduced the negative association between time spent studying and femoral neck BMC. The additional adjustment for MVPA did not change the results at this site. The percentage of girls having low femoral neck BMC was significantly smaller in those participating in osteogenic sports (≥ 3 h/week) than in the rest, independently of the cut-off selected for the time spent studying.ConclusionsThe use of internet for non-study (in boys) and the time spent studying (in girls) are negatively associated with whole body and femoral neck BMC, respectively. In addition, at least 3 h/week of extra-curricular osteogenic sports may help to counteract the negative association of time spent studying on bone health in girls.

Is dairy consumption associated with low cardiovascular disease risk in European adolescents? Results from the HELENA Study

Although there is no clear evidence of the role of dairy consumption on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk development in adults, several studies have suggested dairy consumption to have a protective effect. Limited evidence on the relationship between milk and dairy products consumption and CVD risk factors among adolescents.