Physical fitness of primary school children in relation to overweight prevalence and physical activity habits

2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 633-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rossella Sacchetti ◽  
Andrea Ceciliani ◽  
Andrea Garulli ◽  
Andrea Masotti ◽  
Giuseppe Poletti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Primary School ◽  
School Children ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Overweight Prevalence

scholarly journals Relationship between Primary School Children’s Physical Fitness, Physical Activity and their Parents’ Physical Activity

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (117) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomas Vainauskas ◽  
Laurynas Dilys ◽  
Saulius Šukys ◽  
Brigita Miežienė ◽  
Arūnas Emeljanovas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Primary School ◽  
School Children ◽  
Healthy Lifestyle ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Tennis Ball ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Parental Physical Activity ◽  
Children’S Physical Activity

Background. Healthy lifestyle skills instilled in childhood remain into adulthood. Parental physical activity skills are directly related to their children’s physical activity which strengthens their children’s physical fitness. The aim of the study was to determine and evaluate the relationship between parents’ and children’s physical activity and to evaluate the links between children’s physical activity and physical fitness.Methods. The study involved 486 primary school children aged 7 to 10 years (240 boys and 241 girls) and their parents from Kaunas district. The study was conducted in 2018 in Kaunas district schools. Parental physical activity was assessed using Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire-GLTEQ (Godin & Shephard, 1985). Physical activity of primary school children was assessed by submitting a questionnaire to parents developed by researchers Bacardi-Gascón, Reveles-Roy, Woodward-Lopez, Crawford, and Jiménez-Cruz (2012). Schoolchildren’s physical fitness was assessed by 9 physical fitness tests (Fjørtoft, Pedersen, Sigmundsson, & Vereijken, 2011).Results. Having assessed the physical activity of children according to WHO (2010) recommendations, we found that the vast majority of the surveyed children (93.6% of boys and 86.3 of girls) were physically active, i.e. they engaged in physical activity for more than 1 hour during the day. Comparing the schoolchildren’s physical fitness by gender we found that boys were more physically fit than girls when performing long jumps, two-legged jumps, throwing a tennis ball, and running for six minutes (p < .05). Comparing the results of schoolchildren’s physical fitness by grades (Table 3), we observed that the older children were, the more physically fit they were. Correlation analysis of the research results showed a statistically significant direct relationship between father’s and mother’s physical activity (r = .487, p = .0001). A significant relationship was found between the results of children’s physical activity and tennis ball throwing (r = .170, p = .018) and the results of 10 * 5m running tests (r = –.150, p = .019). Higher physical activity was directly associated with better scores on these tests.Conclusion. Schoolchildren’s and their parents’ physical activity has no relation with schoolchildren’s physical fitness.Keywords: healthy, lifestyle, physical activity, physical fitness.

scholarly journals FUNCTIONAL PHYSICAL FITNESS IN 7–10-YEAR-OLD SCHOOL CHILDREN IN LITHUANIA. PILOT STUDY

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (105) ◽  
pp. 40-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brigita Miežienė ◽  
Vida Janina Česnaitienė ◽  
Arūnas Emeljanovas ◽  
Ingun Fjortoft ◽  
Lise Kjønniksen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Primary School ◽  
School Children ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Test Battery ◽  
The Body ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Tennis Ball ◽  
Fitness Evaluation

Background. Physical fitness in childhood is a marker of health as it reflects the functional status of most the body functions involved in the performance of daily physical activity and/or physical exercise. Measurement and monitoring of these indicators of health beginning from early age is of highest importance. So, the aim of this study is to examine physical fitness in primary school children and test the validity of physical fitness test battery . Methods. A sample of 415 children participated in the study. Physical fitness was measured by the 9-item test battery (Fjørtoft et al., 2011). ANOVA results show that indicators of physical fitness differ across age. In general, older children are more physically fit than the younger ones. Mastering preschool and primary school children’s physical fitness evaluation techniques will allow monitoring the changes in physical fitness in the course of the school year in different age groups. Results. In this study we presented the baseline data of a longitudinal study of 7–10-year-old children in Lithuanian schools. We found a development of achievements in physical functional physical activity across age, the 9–10 years olds being the fittest. We found a pronounced gap in the performance between the age groups of 8–9 years, while the 7–8-year-olds seemed to be more even in their functional fitness competency. The same achievement pattern also was characteristic of boys and girls. Gender differences were found in one test item only (throwing tennis ball), which was explained by different play cultures in boys and girls. Conclusion. Our results indicate a stronger focus on the modernization of physical education programs for children in this age group, particularly for the 8-year-olds. The PE programs should be based on a multivariate sample of basic motor skills of all ages aiming at developing the children’s overall functional physical fitness.

Energy Expenditure in Playground Games in Primary School Children Measured by Accelerometer and Heart Rate Monitors

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 467-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Cañete García-Prieto ◽  
Vicente Martinez-Vizcaino ◽  
Antonio García-Hermoso ◽  
Mairena Sánchez-López ◽  
Natalia Arias-Palencia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Heart Rate ◽  
Energy Expenditure ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Correlation Coefficient ◽  
School Children ◽  
Indirect Calorimetry ◽  
Coefficient Of Variation ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Heart Rate Monitors

The aim of this study was to examine the energy expenditure (EE) measured using indirect calorimetry (IC) during playground games and to assess the validity of heart rate (HR) and accelerometry counts as indirect indicators of EE in children´s physical activity games. 32 primary school children (9.9 ± 0.6 years old, 19.8 ± 4.9 kg · m-2 BMI and 37.6 ± 7.2 ml · kg-1 · min-1 VO2max). Indirect calorimetry (IC), accelerometry and HR data were simultaneously collected for each child during a 90 min session of 30 playground games. Thirty-eight sessions were recorded in 32 different children. Each game was recorded at least in three occasions in other three children. The intersubject coefficient of variation within a game was 27% for IC, 37% for accelerometry and 13% for HR. The overall mean EE in the games was 4.2 ± 1.4 kcals · min-1 per game, totaling to 375 ± 122 kcals/per 90 min/session. The correlation coefficient between indirect calorimetry and accelerometer counts was 0.48 (p = .026) for endurance games and 0.21 (p = .574) for strength games. The correlation coefficient between indirect calorimetry and HR was 0.71 (p = .032) for endurance games and 0.48 (p = .026) for strength games. Our data indicate that both accelerometer and HR monitors are useful devices for estimating EE during endurance games, but only HR monitors estimates are accurate for endurance games.

scholarly journals Objectively assessed moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels among primary school children in Norway: The Health Oriented Pedagogical Project (HOPP)

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (21_suppl) ◽  
pp. 38-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Hai Deng ◽  
Per Morten Fredriksen
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Linear Regression ◽  
Primary School ◽  
School Children ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Participation Rate ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Physical Activity Levels

Aims: The objective was to investigate moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels (MVPA) of primary school children at baseline of the Health Oriented Pedagogical Project (HOPP), Norway. Methods: Data on 2123 children aged 6–12 years were included for analysis (75% participation rate). Average minutes per day in MVPA was objectively measured using accelerometry based on seven-day averages. The sample was analysed for age-, sex-, socioeconomic-, and season-related patterns. A linear regression investigated the moderating effect of these factors as well as body mass index and waist circumference. Results: Some 86.5% of the sample had at least 60 min/day MVPA, averaging 90.7 min/day. The main differences in daily averages were between age groups 6½–9 and 10–12 ( p < .05). Boys (95.8 min/day, 95% CI: 94.1–97.5) were more active than girls (85.6 min/day, 95% CI: 83.9–87.2) in all age groups ( p < .0001). MVPA was lower by 3.5 min ( p < .0001) per additional year of age in the linear regression (R2 = 0.176) and was reduced by 20 min less per day in MVPA in the winter months compared with the summer months ( p < .0001). Conclusions: Physical activity levels are already in decline from 6–7 years old and are likely to continue to decline into adolescence. Interventions must therefore focus on primary school children.

Physical activity as a dimension of family life for lower primary school children

2004 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 307-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doune Macdonald ◽  
Sylvia Rodger ◽  
Jenny Ziviani ◽  
David Jenkins ◽  
Jenny Batch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Primary School ◽  
School Children ◽  
Family Life ◽  
Primary School Children

scholarly journals Physical fitness profile of rural versus urban primary school children in eThekwini district, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oladapo Michael Olagbegi ◽  
Thayananthee Nadasan ◽  
Yoliswa Mazibuko ◽  
Esethu Mfenga ◽  
Khanyani Rangana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Primary School ◽  
School Children ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Kwazulu Natal

scholarly journals Validation of self-reported physical activity by accelerometry among primary school children in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania: a pilot study

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 40
Author(s):  
Mary Vincent Mosha ◽  
Elizabeth Kasagama ◽  
Philip Ayieko ◽  
Jim Todd ◽  
Sia E. Msuya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Primary School ◽  
School Children ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
Moderate Positive Correlation

Background: Self-reports are commonly used to assess physical activity in children.  Existing self-reports for physical activity have not been validated for use among primary school children in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. In order to understand if primary school children can accurately report their physical activity, we examined the validity of self-reported physical activity against accelerometer measured physical activity. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted from May to July, 2018 among four primary schools in Moshi municipal and Moshi rural districts, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.  A total of 51 primary school children aged 9–11 years were enrolled using a simple random sampling technique. A self-reported questionnaire was used to collect physical activity related variables. In addition, children wore accelerometers for seven consecutive days to capture physical activity movements. Spearman’s rank test and Bland Altman plots were used for assessing validity and agreement between self-reports and accelerometer moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Results: The mean age of the study participants was 10 (SD=0.8) years. Majority of the study participants were female 32 (63%). A moderate, positive correlation was found between self-reports and accelerometer MVPA (rho=0.36, p=0.009). Accelerometer had higher MVPA compared to self-reports. Children who reported walking to school had higher MVPA for both accelerometer and self- reports compared to children who use other means of transport to school, e.g. school buses (p < 0.001). Conclusions: This study found the moderate positive correlation between self-reports and accelerometers. Self-reports are prone to errors due to recall bias, and this interferes their validity.  More research is needed to develop better self-reported measures with specific activities which can easily be recalled by children. Also, researchers have to be aware of self-reports validity limitation.

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