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This study assessed the health-related physical fitness among junior high school students in a private academic institution in Bacolod City, Philippines. Focusing on cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, body composition, and flexibility, the research aimed to determine fitness levels across different groups by sex and lifestyle (athlete vs. non-athlete). Using a descriptive-normative research design, 160 students were evaluated through practical fitness tests based on the Revised Physical Fitness Tests (PFT) Manual of the Department of Education (2019). Results indicated high cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength among students, with average muscular endurance and flexibility, and normal body composition. Significant differences were observed, with females showing higher muscular strength and males exhibiting better cardiovascular and muscular endurance. Athletes demonstrated higher muscular strength and leaner body composition compared to non-athletes. These findings underscore the importance of tailored physical education programs to address specific fitness components and promote overall health. A comprehensive fitness program is proposed, including regular aerobic activities for cardiovascular endurance, resistance training for muscular strength, circuit training for muscular endurance, flexibility exercises, and nutritional guidance to maintain healthy body composition. The study aligns with global and regional literature emphasizing the role of structured physical activity programs in enhancing adolescent health and well-being. These results highlight the need for inclusive and effective physical education programs to foster lifelong fitness habits among junior high school students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with developmental disabilities lack sufficient physical activity in their daily lives. The purpose of this study was to see if children with developmental disabilities who participated in stair-climbing exercises had better physical performance and health status than children with developmental disabilities who did not. This study adopted a pre-and-post-test experimental design, enrolling 30 subjects (experimental group, 15; control group, 15) with developmental disabilities aged 5–7 years from pediatric rehabilitation treatment departments of two regional teaching hospitals in Taiwan. The experimental group received stair-climbing exercises and physical therapy twice a week for eight consecutive weeks. The primary outcomes were health-related physical fitness assessment items, including body composition (body mass index: BMI), cardiorespiratory fitness (stair-climbing test), muscular fitness (knee-bend sit-ups), and flexibility (Chair Sit and Reach Test). The post-test measurements of BMI, cardiorespiratory fitness, sit-ups, and muscular flexibility of children in the experimental group were significantly better than the pre-test measurements. The stair-climbing exercise training results for cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness, and muscular flexibility in the experimental group were significantly better than those in the control group. Stair-climbing exercise improves the physical fitness of children with developmental disabilities. The results of this study suggest that children with developmental disabilities should be encouraged to engage in this convenient and easy stair-climbing exercise to improve physical performance and health status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to develop an estimated model of physical fitness age (PFA) to standardize an individual's fitness level using health-related physical fitness data from the representative population aged 40–64 years in Korea's National Fitness 100. Two models of PFA were developed based on sex using chronological age as a dependent variable and results of fitness test variables (body fat [BF], handgrip strength [HS], sit-up [SU], VO 2 max, and sit-and-reach [SR]) as independent variables from the modeling group (n = 37,130). Cross validity was conducted utilizing data of the cross-validation group (n = 37,284) to verify the developed equations. Obtained equations for adults aged 40–64 years were Y = −0.264993 (HG) −0.190067 (BF) +0.105595 (SR) −0.099818 (SU) −0.632665 (VO 2 max) +0.758409 (CA – 52.47) +93.096878 for males and Y = −0.184767 (HG) −0.059027 (BF) +0.181517 (SR) −0.193897 (SU) −0.529020 (VO 2 max) +0.76957(CA – 52.79) +75.715087 for females. Developed equations had the goodness of fit as R 2 = 0.845 (SEE = 2.8 yrs) for males and R 2 = 0.849 (SEE = 2.7 yrs) for females. We have developed physical fitness age equations for adults utilizing fitness test data from the National fitness 100 in the Korean population. The developed equations were found to be proper for standardizing the physical fitness level of the Korean population in both sexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Introduction Health-related physical fitness, which includes body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular endurance, flexibility, power, and strength are associated with risks of chronic diseases and promote good health and wellness. There have been reports of increasing levels of physical inactivity among children and adolescents, leading to increasing rates of obesity and decreased physical fitness. The present study was conducted among school going adolescents to estimate the levels and correlates of PF for timely intervention. Methodology School based cross-sectional study was done among students of class 8-11th in Government schools of Garhwal division of Uttarakhand. Multistage stratified random sampling was applied for recruitment of study participants. We recruited a final sample size of 634 students. Validated questionnaires and standard methods for assessment of physical fitness, physical activity levels and other variables such as waist circumference, hip circumference, BMI and hemoglobin estimation were done. Results Average and above average cardiorespiratory fitness score as per Harvard step test among boys (54.3%) was significantly higher as compared to girls (21.3%) (χ2 = 88.93, p

The lockdown period has led to a decline in physical activity and fitness among students with increasingly embraced sedentary behaviour. This study aimed to assess the physical activity (PA) level and health-related fitness (HRF) status of students according to sex and academic strand, also determining whether significant differences existed. The study was conducted in a large public high school responding to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Long Form (IPAQ) and the Philippine Physical Fitness Test. The study employed a descriptive-comparative research design and employed stratified random sampling with proportional allocation. The students demonstrated a moderate PA level, regardless of sex and academic strand. Regarding health-related fitness, most students exhibited normal BMI, excellent strength in the basic plank, good cardiovascular endurance in the 3-minute step test, good flexibility in the zipper test, fair flexibility in the sit and reach test, and poor performance in the push-up. Furthermore, significant differences were found in BMI and strength when grouped by sex. In conclusion, most students maintain moderate physical activity, surpassing local restrictions and avoiding sedentary behaviour. Also, most students have shown muscular endurance and flexibility in various tasks but have yet to focus as much on strengthening their arms and core muscles. The FIT-UP YOU program has been developed to address this issue, focusing on improving weight and overall HRF status among young overweight/obese and underweight students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of the Thai Northeastern Dance Exercise Program on health-related physical fitness among the elderly in Thailand. Thirty-six elderly people (60 to 69 years old) from Sam Phrao Subdistrict, Mueang District, and Udon Thani Province. The elderly in the Experimental Group (N = 18) received a traditional Thai Northeastern Dance Program, as did the Control Group (N = 18). Training was conducted for 8 weeks, 50 min·d-1, 3 d·wk-1 . Body composition, muscle strength, endurance flexibility, and cardiorespiratory fitness were tested both before and after training. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was used to compare before and after training within the Groups and the Mann-Whitney U Test was used to compare between Groups. Statistical significance was set at a P value of 0.05. The findings indicate that after 8 weeks, the Experimental Group demonstrated a decrease in body composition and an increase in muscle strength, endurance flexibility, and cardiorespiratory fitness. When the Experimental Group was compared to the Control Group, there was a significant difference after the experiment, except for body composition. Thus, the findings indicate that the Thai Northeastern Dance Exercise Program for 8 weeks, 50 min·d-1, 3 d·wk-1 improved health-related physical fitness in elderly women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Kinesiologia Slovenica is the property of Faculty of Sport and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Childhood is an important transitional period for the development of healthy physical activity (PA) behaviours, so it is important to understand its impact on a healthy lifestyle. Aim: This study aimed to determine the influences of sex, socioeconomic status (SES) and body composition (BC) on the relationships between PA, motor skills, motor- and health-related physical fitness in 5–8-year-olds. Setting: Participants were a subsample consisting of 299 children (150 boys, 149 girls, mean age 6.83 ± 0.96 years) from the Exercise, Arterial Modulation and Nutrition in Youth South Africa study (ExAMIN Youth SA). Methods: Anthropometric measures, health-related physical fitness (HRPF), motor-related physical fitness (MRPF), objectively measured PA and demographic information were determined. Results: Only 66% achieved the recommended 60 min of daily moderate vigorous physical activity (MVPA) with 19% classified as having unhealthy body composition (11% overweight, 8% obese). Fat-free mass and SES revealed small-to-moderate influences on the relationship between MVPA, standing broad jump (SBJ; r = 0.32), predicted VO2max (r = 0.28) and beep levels (r = 0.22). For MRPF, the quality of running (r = 0.12) and balancing were associated with MVPA. Adjusting for sex, BC and SES in the relationship between PA with HRPF and MRPF, reductions in most correlations were observed. Conclusion: Moderate vigorous physical activity levels were positively associated with HRPF, MRPF and some motor skills in 5–8-year-olds. Socioeconomic status (lower parental income, employment and education negatively influenced the association between MVPA and fitness [beeps, SBJ, O2max]). Contribution: This study provides knowledge with regard to the use of accelerometer for baseline data for PA, MRPF, HRPF as well as motor skills in South African children.

Abstract Background In this study, by analyzing the correlation between various components of health-related physical fitness (HPF) and liver function indicators, the indicators of physical fitness that were highly correlated with liver function and could be monitored at home were screened to prevent more serious liver disease in the future, and to provide experimental basis for prescribing personalized exercise. Methods A total of 330 faculties (female = 198) of a university were recruited. The indicators of HPF and liver function were measured. Spearman correlation analysis, multivariate linear regression, and cross-lagged panel model was used to data statistics. Results In males, body fat (BF) was positively correlated with alanine aminotransferase (ALT); vital capacity and the vital capacity index were positively correlated with albumin; and vertical jump was positively correlated with globulin and negatively correlated with the albumin-globulin ratio (P

Aims: to determine the effect of a 20-week exergame program on different indicators of body composition and components of health-related physical fitness in adolescents with Down syndrome. Methods and Procedures Outcomes: 49 adolescents (19 female and 30 males; average age, 14.19 ± 2.06 years) with Down syndrome were recruited and randomized to two groups (control group vs. intervention group). Adolescents allocated in the control group carried out a physical activity program three times a week for 20 weeks meanwhile adolescents allocated in the exercise group performed an exergame program three times a week for 20 weeks. Results: The exercise group had significant improvements in all health-related physical fitness variables and there is an improvement in some body composition variables (p < 0.05). Conclusions and Implications: 20 week exergame program consisting of 3 sessions of 60 minutes is able to improve levels of body composition and health-related physical fitness in adolescents with Down syndrome. Highlights Research in body composition and health-related physical fitness of people with Down syndrome has revealed that an exergame programme increases levels of health-related physical fitness in adolescents with Down syndrome An exergame programme can improve differences in markers of body composition between the control group and the intervention group The intervention group that performed the exergame programme showed increases in health-related physical fitness levels after 20 weeks of intervention. The control group that performed a based on developing motor behaviour programme did not show differences in body composition or health-related physical fitness after 20 weeks of intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Aquatic Nordic walking (ANW) is a novel whole-body low-impact exercise that can be practiced by a variety of older adults with chronic conditions. However, its efficacy on several aspects of health is largely unknown. Purpose: This study aimed to determine the effects of regular ANW on glycemic control and vascular function in older adults with type 2 diabetes and mild cognitive impairment. Methods: Thirtythree older adults with type 2 diabetes age 60-75 yr were randomly allocated to nonexercising control (n = 17) or ANW (n = 17) groups. Nordic walking was performed in a pool at water temperature of 34°C-36°C, three times per week for 12 wk. Results: Measures of functional physical fitness including chair stand, timed up and go, chair sit and reach, reach and back scratch, and 6-min walk test scores were all improved after ANW (all P < 0.05). Plasma glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance decreased (all P < 0.05) in ANW. Vascular reactivity as assessed by brachial flow-mediated dilation increased, and arterial stiffness as assessed by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity decreased in ANW (all P < 0.05). No significant changes were observed in the control group. Middle cerebral artery pulsatility index decreased with ANW under normocapnia condition (P < 0.05). Cerebrovascular conductance increased with ANW under hypercapnia condition. Montreal Cognitive Assessment score increased in the ANW group (P < 0.001). Changes in Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores were positively associated with corresponding changes in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (r = 0.540, P = 0.031). Conclusions: Nordic walking in water was a safe and effective innovative exercise modality to improve glycemic control, vascular function, physical fitness, cerebrovascular reactivity, and cognitive function in older adults with type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and health-related physical fitness among late adolescent college students, and to provide evidence for adolescent health promotion. MethodsThe data on 30523 first-year college students of Guangxi Normal University were collected from the National Student Physical Fitness Surveillance conducted annually from 2017 to 2021 for examining the association between body mass index (BMI) and health-related physical fitness among the students. Results The mean BMI for all the students aged 18.3 ± 0.3 years was 20.46 ± 2.89 (21.51 ± 3.47 for 7407 males, 20.13 ± 2.59 for 23116 females). Of the male students, 71.8%, 9.1%, 13.3%, and 5.8% were assessed as having normal weight (BMI > 17.8 and < 24.0), underweight (BMI ≤ 17.8), overweight (BMI ≥ 24.0 and < 28.0), and obesity (BMI ≥ 28.0); of the female students, 85.8%, 7.0%, 5.8%, and 1.4% were having normal weight (BMI > 17.1 and < 24.0), underweight (BMI ≤ 17.1), overweight, and obesity; while for all the students, those proportions were 82.4%, 7.5%, 7.6%, and 2.5%, respectively. The physical fitness index (PFI) of the male students with underweight (0.006 ± 2.719), overweight (– 1.823 ± 2.995) or obesity (– 4.621 ± 3.268) were significantly lower than that of the students with normal weight (0.708 ± 2.946) (all P < 0.01); the PFI of the female students with overweight (– 1.677 ± 2.944) or obesity (– 3.787 ± 3.425) were significantly lower than that of the students with normal weight (0.177 ± 2.974) (both P < 0.01). There exists a quadratic curve relationship between PFI and BMI for the students, with the maximum PFI values of 0.845 and 0.215 corresponding to the BMI of 18.0 and 17.3 for the male and female students. The results of binary logistic regression analysis showed that compared to those with normal weight, the underweight, overweight, and obese students were at an increased risk of having low PFI, with the odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of 1.82 (1.49 – 2.22), 5.20 (4.09 – 6.61), and 16.81 (9.21 – 30.68) for the males and 1.21 (1.07 – 1.36), 3.10 (2.59 – 3.70), and 8.13 (4.76 – 13.91) , respectively. ConclusionIn late adolescent college students, maintaining a normal BMI is the basis for ensuring physical fitness; both underweight and overweight could exert an adverse effect on health-related physical fitness and the adverse effect of overweight and obesity are much stronger.

Background: In this study, by analyzing the correlation between various components of health-related physical fitness (HPF) and liver function indicators, the indicators of physical fitness that were highly correlated with liver function and could be monitored at home were screened to prevent more serious liver disease in the future, and to provide experimental basis for prescribing personalized exercise. Methods: A total of 330 faculties (female = 198) of a university were recruited. The indicators of HPF and liver function were measured. Spearman correlation analysis, multivariate linear regression, and cross-lagged panel model was used to data statistics. Results: In males, body fat (BF) was positively correlated with alanine aminotransferase (ALT); vital capacity and the vital capacity index were positively correlated with albumin; and vertical jump was positively correlated with globulin and negatively correlated with the albumin-globulin ratio (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant correlation among all indicators controlled confounding factors. In females, BF was negatively correlated with direct bilirubin; VO2max was positively correlated with indirect bilirubin; and vertical jump was positively correlated with the albumin-globulin ratio and significantly negatively correlated with globulin (P < 0.05). Controlled confounding factors, body fat percentage was positively correlated with globulin (β = 0.174) and negatively correlated with direct bilirubin (β = –0.431), and VO2max was positively correlated with indirect bilirubin (β = 0.238, P < 0.05). Cross-lagged panel analysis showed that BF percentage can negatively predict direct bilirubin levels with great significance (β = -0.055, P < 0.05). Conclusions: HPF may play a crucial role in liver function screening, particularly for female faculty members. For males, BF, vertical jump, vital capacity and vital capacity index could be associated with liver function but are susceptible to complex factors such as age, smoking, diabetes, and hypertension. In females, BF percentage is an important predictor of abnormal liver function in addition to VO2max and vertical jump, which are not affected by complex factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Ciencias de la Actividad Física UCM is the property of Ediciones Universidad Catolica del Maule and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Background Presently, physical inactivity is the main public health problem in many countries worldwide. Physical activity promotes the maintenance or improvement of one’s physical condition. Physical fitness has been established as the main biological marker of the state of health of an individual, and therefore, there is a clear need to measure health-related physical fitness through the use of a reliable and valid instrument. This study is a continuation of the transcultural adaptation process and a new proposal of the nursing outcome Physical Fitness (2004), found in the 5th Edition of the Nursing Outcomes Classification. The objective of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the nursing outcome Health-Related Physical Fitness survey, proposed and transculturally adapted to the Spanish context. Methods An instrumental study to validate the nursing outcome Physical Fitness (2004), from the 5th Edition of the Nursing Outcome Classification was carried out. It took place between the months of May, 2016 to May, 2017. On the first stage, the instrument proposed Health-Related Physical Fitness survey was administered to 160 adults who used the Health Services of Murcia, Spain by three independent evaluators. After 4 weeks, it was administered again to 33 participants to calculate the intra-rater reliability. Lastly, the SF-12v2 Health Survey was administered to obtain external evidence of validity. Results The inter-rater reliability of the nursing outcome proposed obtained high values (between 0.91–0.99) in the evaluations performed by the three evaluators. As for the intra-rater reliability, high values were obtained (0.94–1), except for the item “balance”, which was moderate (0.56). Lastly, a positive and statistically significant correlation (p

PURPOSE This study aimed to determine the effects of weight-bearing exercise on health-related physical fitness and sleep index in pre- and postmenopausal women. METHODS Twenty middle-aged women were randomly assigned to premenopausal women (PRW; n=11) and postmenopausal women (POW; n=9) groups. All subjects engaged in weight-bearing exercises for 50 minute twice a week for 8 weeks. All participants underwent weight, body mass index (BMI), muscle mass (MM), body fat mass, body fat percentage, waist to hip ratio, bench press (BP), leg press (LP), 3-minute step test (3 MST), sit and reach test (SRT), air squat (AS), push up (PU), curl up (CU), grip strength (GS), and the Korean version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (K-PSQI) measurements before and 4 and 8 weeks after the weight-bearing exercise program. RESULTS AS and PU improved significantly in the PRW versus POW group (p

ObjectiveTo investigate the quality and efficacy of remote at-home rehabilitation for patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) using personalized smart voice-based electronic prescription, and further explore the standardized health management mode of remote family cardiac rehabilitation. Trial design: A multicenter, randomized (1:1), non-blind, parallel controlled study.MethodsA total of 171 patients with CVD who were admitted to 18 medical institutions in China from April 2021 to October 2022 were randomly divided into a treatment group (86 cases) and a control group (85 cases) in a non-blinded experiment, based on the sequence of enrollment. The control group received routine at-home rehabilitation training, and the treatment group received remote feedback-based at-home cardiac rehabilitation management based on routine at-home rehabilitation training. The primary outcome was the difference in VO2peak (mL/min/kg) after 12 weeks. A linear mixed model was developed with follow-up as the dependent variable. Age and baseline data were utilized as covariates, whereas hospital and patient characteristics were adjusted as random-effect variables. As the linear mixed model can accommodate missing data under the assumption of random missing data, there was no substitute missing value for quantitative data.ResultsA total of 171 participants, with 86 in the experimental group and 85 in the control group, were included in the main analysis. The analysis, which used linear mixing model, revealed significant differences in cardiopulmonary function indexes (VO2/kg peak, VO2peak, AT, METs, and maximum resistance) at different follow-up time (0, 4, and 12 weeks) in the experimental group (p 0.05). VO2/kg peak (LS mean 1.49, 95%CI 0.09–2.89, p = 0.037) and other indicators of cardiopulmonary function (p

This study aimed to investigate the effects of a 12-week circuit exercise intervention on the health-related physical fitness and biomarkers of elderly with cardiovascular diseases. Sixty-seven subjects participated in the study, included stretching, aerobic, and resistance training. Pre- and post-examination blood testing and fitness testing. Paired samples t-tests, and correlation analysis were used to analyse the data. Results showed that subjects were overweight and had medium risk levels of infection for cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular and strength performance improved, but sit-up performance was lower than the norm. Total cholesterol and systolic blood pressure improved, but systolic blood pressure remained at a pre-hypertension level. The intervention had a significant positive effect on health-related physical fitness and biomarkers with medium risk cluster of cardiovascular diseases, and there was a high correlation between the two. BMI had a positive correlation with biomarker index and cardiovascular fitness, while agility and flexibility had a negative correlation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Ballistic Exercise of the Lower Limb (BELL) trial examined the efficacy and safety of a pragmatic hardstyle kettlebell training program in older adults. Insufficiently active men and women aged 59–79 years, were recruited to a 6-month repeated measures study, involving 3-months usual activity and 3-months progressive hardstyle kettlebell training. Health-related physical fitness outcomes included: grip strength [GS], 6-min walk distance [6MWD], resting heart rate [HR], stair-climb [SC], leg extensor strength [LES], hip extensor strength [HES], Sit-To-Stand [STS], vertical jump [CMVJ], five-times floor transfer [5xFT], 1RM deadlift, body composition (DXA), attendance, and adverse events. Sixteen males (68.8 ± 4.6 yrs, 176.2 ± 7.8 cm, 90.7 ± 11.0 kg, 29.2 ± 2.6 kg/m2) and sixteen females (68.6 ± 4.7 yrs, 163.9 ± 5.4 cm, 70.4 ± 12.7 kg, 26.3 ± 4.9 kg/m2) were recruited. Compliance with the supervised exercise program was very high (91.5%). Kettlebell training increased GS (R: MD = 7.1 kg 95% CI [4.9, 9.3], L: MD = 6.3 kg 95% CI [4.1, 8.4]), 6MWD (41.7 m, 95% CI [17.9, 65.5]), 1RM (16.2 kg, 95% CI [2.4, 30.0]), 30 s STS (3.3 reps, 95% CI [0.9, 5.7]), LES (R: MD = 61.6 N, 95% CI [4.4, 118.8]), HES (L: MD = 21.0 N,95% CI [4.2,37.8]), appendicular skeletal lean mass (MD = 0.65 kg, 95% CI [0.08, 1.22]), self-reported health change (17.1%, 95% CI [4.4, 29.8]) and decreased SC time (2.7 s, 95% CI [0.2, 5.2]), 5xFT time (6.0 s, 95% CI [2.2, 9.8]) and resting HR (7.4 bpm, 95% CI [0.7, 14.1]). There were four non-serious adverse events. Mean individual training load for group training sessions during the trial was 100,977 ± 9,050 kg. High-intensity hardstyle kettlebell training was well tolerated and improved grip strength and measures of health-related physical fitness in insufficiently active older adults. Trial registration: Prospectively registered: 20/08/2019, Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12619001177145).

Abstract Background Inhibitory control develops rapidly during the preschool stage, and development of inhibitory control in this period is significant for the healthy growth of the future. However, most studies paid more attention to children and adolescents in recent years, but less focus on preschool children. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the association between the health-related physical fitness and inhibitory control in preschool children. Methods This cross-sectional study was based on a baseline data from randomized controlled trial by cluster sampling(including 128 preschoolers, 70 boys, 58girls).The health-related physical fitness T-score (HPFT) was obtained by adding standard scores of six indicators: body mass index, handgrip strength, standing long jump, one-leg balance, 2 × 10 m shuttle run test, and 20 m shuttle run test. Inhibitory control was assessed using the flanker task and reflected by reaction time and accuracy. Results A total of 120 preschoolers were included in the final statistical analysis. After adjusting the confounders, HPFT was associated with reaction time (β=-2.49 ms, 95%CI: -4.22, -0.75). Similarly, a negative association was observed between one-leg balance and reaction time (β=-12.04 ms, 95%CI: -18.94, -5.15), and between 20 m shuttle run test and reaction time (β=-23.28 ms, 95%CI: -37.00, -9.56). Compared with the participants in the lowest tertile, HPFT (β=-158.74, 95%CI: -309.63, -7.84), one-leg balance (β=-267.25 ms, 95%CI: -420.71, -113.79) and 20 m shuttle run test (β=-215.58 ms, 95%CI: -374.67, -56.49) were all negatively associated with reaction time of those in the highest tertile. Conclusions Negative relationships between HPFT and RT of the inhibitory control were observed in preschoolers. To have better inhibitory control, it’s suggested that HPFT of preschoolers should be at least 249. These findings are of great significance for the early improvement of HPFT and the development of inhibitory control in preschool children.

The study compared different training modalities, such as high-intensity interval training versus continuous endurance training, on selected health-related physical fitness, biochemical and haematological parameters of teenage players yielding similar mechanical work and training duration. A random sampling technique was employed and affirmed by the Ethical Committee of Sichuan Province, China. Forty-five teenage sports players aging 18–19 from Sichuan Province, China, were categorized into two experimental and one control group (n = 15) subjects. The groups were allocated separately to high-intensity interval training, continuous endurance training, and control group for a three-month physical exercise program. Each group's training intensity was set based on the resting heart rate, to assess the effects on health-related physical fitness using fitness gram variables such as cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, and flexibility. Biochemical and haematological fasting blood samples were taken and tested at baseline and post three months of training. Detailed descriptive statistics were carried out for the interpretation of the data. All the statistical analysis was completed using the IBM SPSS 20. Paired t-test and one-way ANCOVA were used to evaluate the effect of two aerobic training methods, and to determine the exact difference between the groups, Scheffe's post hoc test was employed. The result of the study shows that cardiovascular endurance in HIIT showed a better performance of (25.6%) than in C.E.T. (18.1%). Regarding muscular endurance, C.E.T. achieved 19.6% and HIIT 16.2%. For flexibility, HIIT improved by (6.5%) while C.E.T. (5.8%). Accordingly, the study revealed significant changes in teenage sports players' health-related fitness, biochemical and haematological parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Presently, physical inactivity is the main public health problem in many countries worldwide. Physical activity promotes the maintenance or improvement of one's physical condition. Physical fitness has been established as the main biological marker of the state of health of an individual, and therefore, there is a clear need to measure health-related physical fitness through the use of a reliable and valid instrument. This study is a continuation of the transcultural adaptation process and a new proposal of the nursing outcome Physical Fitness (2004), found in the 5th Edition of the Nursing Outcomes Classification. The objective of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the nursing outcome Health-Related Physical Fitness survey, proposed and transculturally adapted to the Spanish context. Methods: An instrumental study to validate the nursing outcome Physical Fitness (2004), from the 5th Edition of the Nursing Outcome Classification was carried out. It took place between the months of May, 2016 to May, 2017. On the first stage, the instrument proposed Health-Related Physical Fitness survey was administered to 160 adults who used the Health Services of Murcia, Spain by three independent evaluators. After 4 weeks, it was administered again to 33 participants to calculate the intra-rater reliability. Lastly, the SF-12v2 Health Survey was administered to obtain external evidence of validity. Results: The inter-rater reliability of the nursing outcome proposed obtained high values (between 0.91–0.99) in the evaluations performed by the three evaluators. As for the intra-rater reliability, high values were obtained (0.94–1), except for the item "balance", which was moderate (0.56). Lastly, a positive and statistically significant correlation (p < 0.05) was obtained between the Physical Component Summary, and the dimensions Physical Functioning and General Health from the SF-12v2 Health Survey, and the global score of the Health-Related Physical Fitness proposed instrument. Conclusions: The validity and reliability results of the nursing outcome Health-Related Physical Fitness survey, proposed and transculturally adapted to the Spanish context, were adequate for its use by nurses with adults who use the Health Services of Murcia. However, this instrument must be analyzed with more diverse samples of health services users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is little evidence in children and adolescents with obesity of the relationships between muscle strength/cardiorespiratory fitness (both components of health-related fitness = HRF) and body composition. Body composition and HRF were studied in 281 children and adolescents with obesity to explore their mutual relationship and to identify the predictors of HRF. By performing a bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), the fat-free mass (FFM) and percentage of body fat (%BF) were calculated, and the phase angle (PhA) was recorded. Handgrip strength (HGS), the standard broad jump (SBJ), and five broad jumps (FIVEBJ) were considered for the assessment of muscle strength, and the six-minute walking distance (SIXMWD) for cardiorespiratory fitness. The BMI Z-score was slightly higher in boys, and the %BF was higher in girls, with no difference in the FFM. HGS, the SBJ, and FIVEBJ were greater in the male sex. After controlling for sex, HGS was associated with the FFM, and with height, weight, and absolute BMI. On the contrary, the SBJ and FIVEBJ were negatively associated with adiposity, with a weak relationship with the FFM. The SIXMWD was only poorly related to height, the BMI Z-score, and the waist-to-height ratio. These results were confirmed with a multiple regression analysis. HGS, the SBJ, and FIVEBJ were higher in the first compared to the third tertile of the PhA in both sexes. The PhA also remained a consistent predictor of HGS, the SBJ, and FIVEBJ in a multiple regression analysis. In conclusion, the following predictors have been identified for HRF: the FFM for the isometric strength of the upper limbs and adiposity indicators for the SBJ and FIVEBJ. The PhA emerged as a proxy index of muscle strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apply It!: From this article, the reader will be introduced to this specially themed issue of ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal® , Field Assessments on the Go. The reader also will be made aware of the terms and definitions used throughout this themed issue. In the pages that follow, this specially themed issue of ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal ® will provide evidence-based and practical recommendations on incorporating client-specific field-based assessments of physical fitness and functional performance in the exercise program development process from experts in pediatric, adult, geriatric, perinatal, occupational, postrehabilitation health, and fitness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youths with obesity are more likely to experience physical and psychosocial distress which strongly limits physical activity, with consequences on the quality of life. Most evidence of lower physical fitness and physical activity levels has been reported in treatment-seeking samples, while few data are available in community samples. Our aim was to assess whether perceived difficulties in physical tasks and physical fitness performance differed between treatment- and non-treatment-seeking youths with obesity, enrolled from a hospital (H) and a school (S). Three hundred fifty-one youths (269 from H and 82 from S) were enrolled. Sports participation, sedentary habits and perceived difficulties in physical tasks were assessed by interview. Six-minute walk test (SMWD) and long jump (LJ) were performed. BMI Z-score, sedentary time and perceived difficulties were higher in H vs. S. In addition, youths from H scored worse in SMWD and LJ. For the same BMI Z-score, the perceived difficulties and physical fitness were poorer in the H compared to the S group. The setting (H) was the stronger predictor of perceived difficulties and lower performance. Our findings underline that physical aspects imposed by obesity are more evident in treatment-seeking youths. Counseling related to perceived difficulties in physical tasks and performance is useful to treat youth with obesity with appropriate and personalized modalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Prescrição e Fisiologia do Exercício is the property of Instituto Brasileiro de Pesquisa e Ensino em Fisiologia do Exercicio and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

ObjectivesHealth-related physical-fitness (HRPF) involves multi-components of physical functional tests and is reported to be associated with the risk of fall. The study sought to determine whether specific physical fitness components were stronger predictors of falls among elderly people.MethodsThis prospective cohort study involved 299 community residents age ≥60 years from Shanghai, China. The baseline data included comprehensive assessment of sociodemographic, clinical, and HRPF test. Subjects were followed for 1 year and were contacted by telephone to report falls. LASSO regression and Multivariate regression analysis were used to identify risk predictors of fall. In addition, we used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses to determine whether the predictors have diagnostic.ResultsDuring the 1-year prospective fall assessment, 11.7% of these subjects experienced one or frequent falls. LASSO models revealed that age (=0.01) and 8-ft up-and-go test score (=0.06) were positively associated with falls, while activity-specific balance confidence (ABC; = −0.007) and 2-min step test score (= −0.005) were inversely related. The Area Under roc Curve (AUC) for a linear combination of age, ABC scale score, 2-min step test and 8-ft up-and-go test was 0.778 (95% confidence interval: 0. 700–0.857), which was superior to any of the variables taken alone.ConclusionAge, activity-specific balance confidence and fitness abnormalities were determined to contribute to the incident of falls. The value of 2-min step test score, and 8-ft up-and-go test score were the key HRPF components in predicting falls among elderly people.

Abstracts PURPOSE This study aimed to examine the effects of non-face-to-face learning on health-related physical fitness and balance in adolescents according to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS Twenty-nine middle-school students (14 girls and 15 boys) were enrolled. We measured the students' health-related physical fitness (body composition, muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility, and cardiac endurance) and balance (static and dynamic) before and after 12 weeks of non-face-to-face learning without any exercise intervention. Cardiac endurance was measured using the Harvard step test. RESULTS Body fat, muscle strength (hip flexion, hip extension, knee flexion, knee extension), and Y-balance test exhibited significant differences before and after non-face-to-face learning (p

Abstract Background As a complex phenomenon, sleep quality is difficult to objectively define and measure, and multiple factors related to sleep quality, such as age, lifestyle, physical activity, and physical fitness, feature prominently in older adult populations. The aim of the present study was to evaluate subjective sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and to associate sleep quality with health-related physical fitness factors, depressive symptoms, and the number of chronic diseases in the middle-aged and elderly. Methods We enrolled a total of 283 middle-aged and elderly participants from a rehabilitation clinic or health examination department. The PSQI was used to evaluate sleep quality. The health-related fitness assessment included anthropometric and physical fitness parameters. Depressive symptoms were measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) short form. Data were analyzed with SPSS 18.0, and descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were used for the analyses. Results Overall, 27.9% of participants in this study demonstrated bad sleepers (with a PSQI score of > 5), 10.2% of study participants frequently used sleep medication to help them fall asleep, and 6.0% reported having significant depressive symptoms (with a CES-D score of ≥10). There are two major findings: (1) depression symptoms, the number of chronic diseases, self-rated health, and arthritis were significantly associated with a poor sleep quality, and (2) the 2-min step test was associated with longer sleep latency. These results confirmed that the 2-min step was associated with a longer sleep latency among the health-related physical fitness items. Conclusions Our study found that depressive syndrome, chronic disease numbers, a poor self-rated health status, and arthritis were the main risk factors that influenced subjective sleep quality.

Copyright of International Journal of Medicine & Science of Physical Activity & Sport / Revista Internacional de Medicina y Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte is the property of Revista Internacional de Medicina y Ciencias de la Actividad Fisica y del Deporte and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Inhibitory control develops rapidly during the preschool stage, and development of inhibitory control in this period is significant for the healthy growth of the future. However, most studies paid more attention to children and adolescents in recent years, but less focus on preschool children. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the association between the health-related physical fitness and inhibitory control in preschool children.Methods: This cross-sectional study was based on a baseline data from randomized controlled trial by cluster sampling(including 128 preschoolers, 70 boys, 58girls).The health-related physical fitness T-score (HPFT) was obtained by adding standard scores of six indicators: body mass index, handgrip strength, standing long jump, one-leg balance, 2 × 10 m shuttle run test, and 20 m shuttle run test. Inhibitory control was assessed using the flanker task and reflected by reaction time and accuracy.Results: A total of 120 preschoolers were included in the final statistical analysis. After adjusting the confounders, HPFT was associated with reaction time (β=-2.49 ms, 95%CI: -4.22, -0.75). Similarly, a negative association was observed between one-leg balance and reaction time (β=-12.04 ms, 95%CI: -18.94, -5.15), and between 20 m shuttle run test and reaction time (β=-23.28 ms, 95%CI: -37.00, -9.56). Compared with the participants in the lowest tertile, HPFT (β=-158.74, 95%CI: -309.63, -7.84), one-leg balance (β=-267.25 ms, 95%CI: -420.71, -113.79) and 20 m shuttle run test (β=-215.58 ms, 95%CI: -374.67, -56.49) were all negatively associated with reaction time of those in the highest tertile.Conclusions: Negative relationships between HPFT and RT of the inhibitory control were observed in preschoolers. To have better inhibitory control, it's suggested that HPFT of preschoolers should be at least 249. These findings are of great significance for the early improvement of HPFT and the development of inhibitory control in preschool children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Eurasian Education & Culture is the property of Ayse Burcu Ulusoy and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The health-related physical fitness status of habitual exercisers with different exercise types has not been adequately described previously. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the various benefits in health-related physical fitness associated with participation in various exercises. The study was a cross-sectional study on 164 Japanese adult males (age: 45–80 years), who were classified into seven groups according to their most frequently practiced exercise: non-exercisers (n = 48), walking (n = 38), jogging (n = 23), rhythm calisthenics (n = 13), bowling (n = 20), tennis (n = 13), and cycling (n = 9). Anthropometric and health-related physical fitness data were measured, and exercise habit was investigated using a questionnaire survey. Physical fitness age (PFA) was estimated in all study participants. Compared to 48 non-exercisers, joggers obviously had superior cardiorespiratory endurance (maximal oxygen uptake: 45.5 ± 1.1 mL/kg/min). Tennis players showed better flexibility (trunk flexion: 6.8 ± 2.5 cm), agility (side-to-side stepping: 39.8 ± 1.6 reps), balance (one-legged stand with eyes closed: 24.9 ± 3.3 s), and lower-limb strength (vertical jump: 38.9 ± 1.6 cm). The difference between chronological age and PFA was approximately 13 years in joggers, 10 years in tennis players, and 5 years in rhythm calisthenics practitioners, all of which were significantly better when compared to the difference in non-exercisers. Various exercises appeared to confer different advantages on health-related physical fitness status. Exercise type with different skills was considered as a factor to maintain or promote physical fitness for habitual exercisers, especially older individuals.

Background: The results of sedentary time (ST) and health-related physical fitness (HPF) are not completely consistent and the studies concentrated on pre-schoolers are very limited.Methods: We measured ST and ST patterns (ST Bouts time, ST Breaks times) by accelerometer. The health-related physical fitness T-score (HPFT) was calculated by five indexes: height-weight standard score, 20 m shuttle-run test, grip strength, standing long jump and 2 × 10 m shuttle-run test.Results: We included 375 pre-schoolers (211 boys, 164 girls) in the final analysis. The total ST and ST Bouts times negatively correlated with HPFT in pre-schoolers. HPFT reduced by 1.69 and 0.70 points per 10 min increased in total ST and ST Bouts times, respectively. HPFT of the highest quartile group reduced by 9.85 points in total ST, and 10.54 points in ST Bouts time compared with the lowest quartile group. However, the HPFT increased by 0.09 points per 10 times increased in ST Breaks times; the HPFT increased by 16.21 and 15.59 points when moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) replaced total ST and ST Bouts time.Conclusions: HPF negatively correlated with the Total ST and ST Bouts times, but positively correlated with ST Breaks times; and HPF significantly improved when MVPA replaced ST in pre-schoolers.

Background: This study aimed to examine the effect of a 9-week SPARK program on physical activity (PA), cardiorespiratory endurance (Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run; PACER), and motivation in middle-school students. Methods: 174 students attended baseline and posttests and change scores computed for each outcome. A MANOVA was employed to examine change score differences using follow-up ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests. Results: MANOVA yielded a significant interaction for Grade × Gender × Group (Wilks's ∧ = 0.89, P < .001). ANOVA for PA revealed significant differences between SPARK grades 6 and 7 (Mean ▵ = 8.11, P < .01) and Traditional grades 6 and 8 (Mean ▵ = -6.96, P < .01). ANOVA also revealed greater PACER change for Traditional boys in grade 8 (P < .01) and SPARK girls in grade 8 (P < .01). There were significant interactions with perceived competence differences between SPARK grades 6 and 8 (Mean ▵ = 0.38, P < .05), Enjoyment differences between SPARK grades 6 and 7 (Mean ▵ = 0.67, P < .001), and SPARK grades 6 and 8 (Mean ▵ = 0.81, P < .001). Conclusions: Following the intervention, SPARK displayed greater increases on PA and motivation measures in younger students compared with the Traditional program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was undertaken to analyze the muscular strength among players of school boys and girls of three age groups studying at various schools of Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu India. To achieve the purpose of the study one hundred and eighty (180) players were selected comprised of ninety boys and ninety girls from among the three age categories of U-14, U-17 and U-19. Thus, the study comprised of ninety players under the category of boys with thirty players in each age group of U-14, U-17 and U-19. Similarly, ninety players were in the category of girls with thirty players in each of the age group U-14, U-17 and U-19. The age of the subjects ranging between 12 to 19 years were selected as subjects. The data collected from U-14, U-17, U-19 players for both gender boys and girls players on muscular strength was measured by using one-minute push-ups, the data were statistically analysed by using 2 x 3 factorial ANOVA (gender x categories). Whenever, the obtained 'F' ratio value for interaction effect was found to be significant, the simple effect test was applied as follow test. In all cases, the 0.5 level of confidence was fixed to test the level of significance which was considered as an appropriate. The results of the study showed that the players under boys category were significantly better in muscular strength. The result also revealed that the muscular strength was significantly better for BU-19 and BU-17 as compared to BU-14 players whereas there was no significant difference between BU-19 and BU-17 players. Further, GU-19 players have showed significantly better in muscular strength as compared to GU-17 and GU-14 players whereas there was no significant difference in muscular strength between GU-14 and GU-19, GU-17 and GU-19 players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is little evidence in children and adolescents with obesity of the relationships between muscle strength/cardiorespiratory fitness (both components of health-related fitness = HRF) and body composition. Body composition and HRF were studied in 281 children and adolescents with obesity to explore their mutual relationship and to identify the predictors of HRF. By performing a bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), the fat-free mass (FFM) and percentage of body fat (%BF) were calculated, and the phase angle (PhA) was recorded. Handgrip strength (HGS), the standard broad jump (SBJ), and five broad jumps (FIVEBJ) were considered for the assessment of muscle strength, and the six-minute walking distance (SIXMWD) for cardiorespiratory fitness. The BMI Z-score was slightly higher in boys, and the %BF was higher in girls, with no difference in the FFM. HGS, the SBJ, and FIVEBJ were greater in the male sex. After controlling for sex, HGS was associated with the FFM, and with height, weight, and absolute BMI. On the contrary, the SBJ and FIVEBJ were negatively associated with adiposity, with a weak relationship with the FFM. The SIXMWD was only poorly related to height, the BMI Z-score, and the waist-to-height ratio. These results were confirmed with a multiple regression analysis. HGS, the SBJ, and FIVEBJ were higher in the first compared to the third tertile of the PhA in both sexes. The PhA also remained a consistent predictor of HGS, the SBJ, and FIVEBJ in a multiple regression analysis. In conclusion, the following predictors have been identified for HRF: the FFM for the isometric strength of the upper limbs and adiposity indicators for the SBJ and FIVEBJ. The PhA emerged as a proxy index of muscle strength.

Youths with obesity are more likely to experience physical and psychosocial distress which strongly limits physical activity, with consequences on the quality of life. Most evidence of lower physical fitness and physical activity levels has been reported in treatment-seeking samples, while few data are available in community samples. Our aim was to assess whether perceived difficulties in physical tasks and physical fitness performance differed between treatment- and non-treatment-seeking youths with obesity, enrolled from a hospital (H) and a school (S). Three hundred fifty-one youths (269 from H and 82 from S) were enrolled. Sports participation, sedentary habits and perceived difficulties in physical tasks were assessed by interview. Six-minute walk test (SMWD) and long jump (LJ) were performed. BMI Z-score, sedentary time and perceived difficulties were higher in H vs. S. In addition, youths from H scored worse in SMWD and LJ. For the same BMI Z-score, the perceived difficulties and physical fitness were poorer in the H compared to the S group. The setting (H) was the stronger predictor of perceived difficulties and lower performance. Our findings underline that physical aspects imposed by obesity are more evident in treatment-seeking youths. Counseling related to perceived difficulties in physical tasks and performance is useful to treat youth with obesity with appropriate and personalized modalities.

Continuous health care and the measurement of health-related physical fitness (HRPF) is necessary for prevention against chronic diseases; however, HRPF measurements including laboratory methods may not be practical for large populations owing to constraints such as time, cost, and the requirement for qualified technicians. This study aimed to develop a multiple linear regression model to estimate the HRPF of Korean adults, using easy-to-measure dependent variables, such as gender, age, body mass index, and percent body fat. The National Fitness Award datasets of South Korea were used in this analysis. The participants were aged 19–64 years, including 319,643 male and 147,600 females. HRPF included hand grip strength (HGS), flexibility (sit and reach), muscular endurance (sit-ups), and cardiorespiratory fitness (estimated VO2max). An estimation multiple linear regression model was developed using the stepwise technique. The outlier data in the multiple regression model was identified and removed when the absolute value of the studentized residual was ≥2. In the regression model, the coefficient of determination for HGS (adjusted R2: 0.870, P < 0.001), muscular endurance (adjusted R2: 0.751, P < 0.001), and cardiorespiratory fitness (adjusted R2: 0.885, P < 0.001) were significantly high. However, the coefficient of determination for flexibility was low (adjusted R2: 0.298, P < 0.001). Our findings suggest that easy-to-measure dependent variables can predict HGS, muscular endurance, and cardiorespiratory fitness in adults. The prediction equation will allow coaches, athletes, healthcare professionals, researchers, and the general public to better estimate the expected HRPF.

Objective: To improve health-related physical fitness (HRPF) (primary outcome) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) with a web-based motor intervention program in pediatric patients with congenital heart disease (CHD).Study Design: Overall, 70 patients (13.0 ± 2.6 years; 34% girls) aged 10-18 years with moderate or complex CHD severity were randomly allocated 1:1 to an intervention or control group. The intervention group trained 3 times per week for 20 minutes in a web-based exercise program over a period of 24 weeks. The control group followed lifestyle per usual. At baseline and follow-up HRPF was assessed via 5 tasks of the FITNESSGRAM and converted to a HRPF z score. HRQoL was assessed with KINDL self-report questionnaire.Results: In total, 61 patients completed the follow-up. There was no change in total HRPF z score (intervention group: 0.14 ± 0.38 vs control group: 0.09 ± 0.38, P = .560) and total HRQoL (intervention group: -1.73 ± 8.33 vs control group: 1.31 ± 7.85, P = .160) after the 24-week web-based exercise intervention. This was true for all subcategories of HRPF and HRQoL. There were no adverse events associated with the web-based exercise intervention.Conclusions: We found that 24 weeks of web-based exercise intervention with an aimed volume of 60 minutes of exercise per week was safe but did not improve HRPF and HRQoL in children with moderate or complex CHD.Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03488797. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous health care and the measurement of health-related physical fitness (HRPF) is necessary for prevention against chronic diseases; however, HRPF measurements including laboratory methods may not be practical for large populations owing to constraints such as time, cost, and the requirement for qualified technicians. This study aimed to develop a multiple linear regression model to estimate the HRPF of Korean adults, using easy-to-measure dependent variables, such as gender, age, body mass index, and percent body fat. The National Fitness Award datasets of South Korea were used in this analysis. The participants were aged 19–64 years, including 319,643 male and 147,600 females. HRPF included hand grip strength (HGS), flexibility (sit and reach), muscular endurance (sit-ups), and cardiorespiratory fitness (estimated VO2 max ). An estimation multiple linear regression model was developed using the stepwise technique. The outlier data in the multiple regression model was identified and removed when the absolute value of the studentized residual was ≥2. In the regression model, the coefficient of determination for HGS (adjusted R 2: 0.870, P < 0.001), muscular endurance (adjusted R 2: 0.751, P < 0.001), and cardiorespiratory fitness (adjusted R 2: 0.885, P < 0.001) were significantly high. However, the coefficient of determination for flexibility was low (adjusted R 2: 0.298, P < 0.001). Our findings suggest that easy-to-measure dependent variables can predict HGS, muscular endurance, and cardiorespiratory fitness in adults. The prediction equation will allow coaches, athletes, healthcare professionals, researchers, and the general public to better estimate the expected HRPF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As a complex phenomenon, sleep quality is difficult to objectively define and measure, and multiple factors related to sleep quality, such as age, lifestyle, physical activity, and physical fitness, feature prominently in older adult populations. The aim of the present study was to evaluate subjective sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and to associate sleep quality with health-related physical fitness factors, depressive symptoms, and the number of chronic diseases in the middle-aged and elderly.Methods: We enrolled a total of 283 middle-aged and elderly participants from a rehabilitation clinic or health examination department. The PSQI was used to evaluate sleep quality. The health-related fitness assessment included anthropometric and physical fitness parameters. Depressive symptoms were measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) short form. Data were analyzed with SPSS 18.0, and descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were used for the analyses.Results: Overall, 27.9% of participants in this study demonstrated bad sleepers (with a PSQI score of > 5), 10.2% of study participants frequently used sleep medication to help them fall asleep, and 6.0% reported having significant depressive symptoms (with a CES-D score of ≥10). There are two major findings: (1) depression symptoms, the number of chronic diseases, self-rated health, and arthritis were significantly associated with a poor sleep quality, and (2) the 2-min step test was associated with longer sleep latency. These results confirmed that the 2-min step was associated with a longer sleep latency among the health-related physical fitness items.Conclusions: Our study found that depressive syndrome, chronic disease numbers, a poor self-rated health status, and arthritis were the main risk factors that influenced subjective sleep quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participation in youth sport is positively associated with physical fitness and performance. The purpose of the current study was to examine if physical fitness measures during childhood and early adolescence predicted high school sport participation. Participants included youth in the Michigan State University Motor Performance Study. Measures consisted of the endurance shuttle run, Wells sit-and-reach, jump and reach, standing long jump, agility shuttle run and 30-yard dash. Individual, generalized estimating equation models were used to estimate the association between each measure and the odds of participating in high school sport. For both sexes, the endurance shuttle run and agility shuttle run were related to sport participation. For boys only, the long jump and 30-yard dash were also associated with sport participation. Better physical fitness and performance across several dimensions in childhood, including those related to motor skills, enhanced the likelihood of sport participation in high school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:  Childhood is an important transitional period for the development of healthy physical activity (PA) behaviours, so it is important to understand its impact on a healthy lifestyle., Aim:  This study aimed to determine the influences of sex, socioeconomic status (SES) and body composition (BC) on the relationships between PA, motor skills, motor- and health-related physical fitness in 5-8-year-olds., Setting:  Participants were a subsample consisting of 299 children (150 boys, 149 girls, mean age 6.83 ± 0.96 years) from the Exercise, Arterial Modulation and Nutrition in Youth South Africa study (ExAMIN Youth SA)., Methods:  Anthropometric measures, health-related physical fitness (HRPF), motor-related physical fitness (MRPF), objectively measured PA and demographic information were determined., Results:  Only 66% achieved the recommended 60 min of daily moderate vigorous physical activity (MVPA) with 19% classified as having unhealthy body composition (11% overweight, 8% obese). Fat-free mass and SES revealed small-to-moderate influences on the relationship between MVPA, standing broad jump (SBJ; r = 0.32), predicted VO2max (r = 0.28) and beep levels (r = 0.22). For MRPF, the quality of running (r = 0.12) and balancing were associated with MVPA. Adjusting for sex, BC and SES in the relationship between PA with HRPF and MRPF, reductions in most correlations were observed., Conclusion:  Moderate vigorous physical activity levels were positively associated with HRPF, MRPF and some motor skills in 5-8-year-olds. Socioeconomic status (lower parental income, employment and education negatively influenced the association between MVPA and fitness [beeps, SBJ, O2max]).Contribution: This study provides knowledge with regard to the use of accelerometer for baseline data for PA, MRPF, HRPF as well as motor skills in South African children.

A physically active lifestyle can prevent cardiovascular disease. Exercise intervention studies in children and adolescents that aim to increase physical activity have resulted in reduced vascular wall thickening and improve cardiovascular function. Here we review the literature that explores the correlations between physical activity, health-related physical fitness, and exercise interventions with various measures of vascular structure and function in children and adolescents. While several of these studies identified improvements in vascular structure in response to physical activity, these associations were limited to studies that relied on questionnaires. Of concern, these findings were not replicated in studies featuring quantitative assessment of physical activity with accelerometers. Half of the studies reviewed reported improved vascular function with increased physical activity, with the type of vascular measurement and the way physical activity was assessed having an influence on the reported relationships. Similary, most of the studies identified in the literature report a beneficial association of health-related physical fitness with vascular structure and function. Overall, it was difficult to compare the results of these studies to one another as different methodologies were used to measure both, health-related physical fitness and vascular function. Likewise, exercise interventions may reduce both arterial wall thickness and increased vascular stiffness in pediatric populations at risk, but the impact clearly depends on the duration of the intervention and varies depending on the target groups. We identified only one study that examined vascular structure and function in young athletes, a group of particular interest with respect to understanding of cardiovascular adaptation to exercise. In conclusion, future studies will be needed that address the use of wall:diameter or wall:lumen-ratio as part of the evaluation of arterial wall thickness. Furthermore, it will be critical to introduce specific and quantitative measurements of physical activity, as intensity and duration of participation likely influence the effectiveness of exercise interventions.

Initially designed by Charles L. Sterling as a physical fitness ‘report card’ FITNESSGRAM ® / ACTIVITYGRAM ® is now an educational assessment and reporting software program. Based on physiological/epidemiological, behavioral, and pedagogical research, FITNESSGRAM is committed to health-related is committed to health-related physical fi tness, criterion-referenced standards, an emphasis on physical activity including behavioral based recognitions, and the latest in technology. The evolution of these major concepts is described in this history of FITNESSGRAM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Despite decreasing mortality in pediatric oncology as a result of standardized treatment protocols, the high number of functional and cardiovascular late sequelae due to anticarcinogenic therapy remains unchanged. The aim of this study was to further assess functional limitations in Health-related Physical Fitness (HRPF) and cardiovascular risk by means of markers of arterial stiffness in Childhood Cancer Survivors (CCS).Materials and Methods: Between March 2016 and August 2017 a total of 92 CCS (Age 12.5 ± 4.2 years, 43 girls) were recruited from their routine follow-up outpatient visit. HRPF was assessed using five Fitnessgram® tasks. Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) along with peripheral and central blood pressure were assessed using oscillometric measurements performed by Mobil-O-Graph. Z-scores were used to compare the test results either to German reference values or to a recent healthy reference cohort.Results: In CCS, the HRPF was significantly reduced (z-score: −0.28 ± 1.01, p = 0.011) as compared to healthy peers. The peripheral Systolic Blood Pressure (pSBP) was significantly increased (z-score: 0.31 ± 1.11, p = 0.017) and the peripheral Diastolic Blood Pressure (pDBP) was decreased (z-score: −0.30 ± 1.25, p = 0.040), resulting in an increased pulse pressure. The PWV (p = 0.649) and cSBP (p = 0.408), were neither increased nor showed any association to HRPF.Discussion: CCS showed functional limitations in HRPF and an increased pulse pressure, which acts as an early onset parameter of arterial stiffness. Both a low HRPF and impaired hemodynamics are independent cardiovascular risk factors and needs to be taken into consideration in tertiary prevention of CCS.

Mental health is an important public health issue and up to one in five youth experience mental health problems. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among motor competence, health-related physical fitness and mental health outcomes in adolescents. A secondary goal was to test the direct and indirect effects of motor competence on adolescents' mental health through health-related physical fitness. Participants were 279 adolescents (Mage = 12.49, SD = 0.89) recruited in the south-west region of the US Motor competence including volleyball, soccer, and ultimate Frisbee, were assessed using PE Metrics™. FITNESSGRAM® test battery was used to assess health-related physical fitness components. Students completed a survey measuring their depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life. Motor competence was significantly associated with components of health-related physical fitness (r ranged from −0.15 to 0.38). The robust fit of the model supports the significant indirect effect of motor competence on mental health outcomes through health-related physical fitness (χ2/df = 39.92/25; CFI = 0.97; RMSEA = 0.046; 90% CI [0.02, 0.07]). The hypothesized conceptual model tested in this study provides insights into the potential interaction of motor competence and health-related physical fitness with adolescents' mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]