Background The relationship between the Body Mass Index (BMI) with physical fitness in children and adolescent populations from diverse regions are consistent. However, the relationship between the Ponderal Index (PI) with physical fitness, based on what is known to date, has not been examined in depth. The objective was to evaluate the relationships between BMI and PI with three physical fitness tests of students living at moderate altitudes in Peru. Methods A descriptive correlational study was carried out with 385 adolescents, between the ages of 10.0 to 15.9 years old, from the province of Arequipa, Peru. Weight, height, and three physical fitness tests (horizontal jump, agility, and abdominal muscle resistance) were evaluated. BMI and PI were calculated, and they were, then, categorized into three strata (low, normal, and excessive weight). Specific regressions were calculated for sex, using a non-lineal quadratic model for each item adjusted for BMI and PI. Results The relationship between BMI and PI with the physical tests reflected parabolic curves that varied in both sexes. The regression values for BMI in males oscillated between R2 = 0.029 and 0.073 and for females between R2 = 0.008 and 0.091. For PI, for males, it varied from R2 = 0.044 to 0.82 and for females, from R2 = 0.011 to 0.103. No differences occurred between the three nutritional categories for BMI as well as for PI for both sexes (p range between 0.18 to 0.38), as well as for low weight (BMI vs PI), normal weight (BMI vs PI), and excessive weight (BMI vs PI) (p range between 0.35 to 0.64). Conclusions BMI showed inferior quadratic regressions with respect to the PI. In addition, physical performance was slightly unfavorable when it was analyzed by BMI. PI could be a useful tool for analyzing and predicting physical fitness for adolescents living at a moderate altitude since it corrects for the notable differences for weight between adolescents.

ObjectiveKnowledge of the biological parameters of pubertal growth spurt allows verification of secular changes and exploration of the timing of puberty. The aim of the study was to estimate final height, age at peak height velocity (APHV), and peak height velocity PHV (cm/y) in children and adolescents living at moderate altitude in Colombia.MethodsA cross-sectional study was designed in 2.295 schoolchildren from Bogotá (Colombia) with an age range from 5.0 to 18.9 years. Height (cm) was assessed. Preece–Baines model 1 (1PB) was used to make inferences about mathematical and biological parameters.ResultsThe five mathematical parameters estimated in general have reflected quality in the fit to the model, reflecting a small residual error. Final height was reached in boys at 170.8 ± 0.4 cm and in girls at 157.9 ± 0.2 cm. APHV was estimated at 12.71 ± 0.1 years in boys and 10.4 ± 0.2 years in girls. Girls reached APHV 2.2 years earlier than boys. In relation to PHV (cm/y), boys reached higher growth speed in height (7.4 ± 0.4 cm/y), and in girls it was (7.0 ± 0.2 cm/y).ConclusionIt was determined that final height was reached at 170.8 ± 0.4 cm in boys and 157.9 ± 0.2 cm in girls, and APHV (years) and PHV (cm/ye) were reached relatively early and with average peak velocity similar to Asian and Western populations. A large-scale longitudinal study is needed to confirm these findings.

Objectives: This study's purpose was to compare physical growth (PG) patterns of children and adolescents living at high elevations with those of other geographic regions, relate body adiposity indicators, and develop percentile reference tables for assessing physical growth and body adiposity. Methods: The sample included 1536 children and adolescents ages 5.0 to 17.9 years from Puno (Peru) located between 3821 and 4349 m above sea level. Weight, height, arm and waist circumferences (WC), and three skinfolds measurements were recorded. Body mass index (BMI) and waist-height Index (WHI) were calculated. Results: PG patterns for children living at a high altitude reflected similar values for weight, height, and arm circumference (AC) to those of their counterparts living in Puno (Peru) and La Paz (Bolivia). When compared with children living at moderate altitudes in Peru, they showed slightly lower PG values. BMI explained between 41% and 64% of the variance in sum of the skinfolds, while WC explained between 47% and 66%. HWI was not a strong predictor of variation in sum of skinfolds. Percentiles were generated for WC and the sum of skinfolds. Conclusion: Weight, height, and, arm and waist circumference patterns for children and adolescents living at high altitudes were similar to those of La Paz (Bolivia). WC and the sum of the skinfolds were better indicators for analyzing abdominal obesity compared to BMI and WHI. The percentiles proposed may be a useful tool for identifying high risk of developing overweight disorders in pediatric populations living at high altitudes.

The Körperkoordinationstest für kinder (KTK) is of great use in the field of physical education, rehabilitation and sports science. Its application involves rigorous control in terms of reliability. This review verifies the types of reliability used. The Pubmed database was used, including studies from the period 2016 to 2020. The keywords used were: motor coordination, motor competence, KTK, children, reliability. Ten cross-sectional studies were selected. The age ranges and sample size ranged from 4 to 14 years old and includes a sample size from 64 to 3738. Of the 10 studies, 2 used three reliability criteria (stability, equivalence, and internal consistency), 3 used measures of stability, and 4 used measures of equivalence. The reported stability measures ranged from 0.60 to 0.99, equivalence measures from 0.75 to 0.99, and internal consistency measures from 0.95. In conclusion, it was verified that the cross-sectional studies evaluating the KTK tests were generally conducted on children of both genders and applied in age ranges from 4 to 14 years old as suggested by the original proposal and the types of reliability used varied among the studies from moderate to excellent. La prueba Körperkoordinationstest für kinder (KTK) es de gran utilidad en el ámbito de la educación física, rehabilitación y en ciencias del deporte. Su aplicación implica el control riguroso en términos de confiabilidad. Esta revisión verifica los tipos de confiabilidad utilizados. Se utilizó la base de datos Pubmed, incluyendo estudios del periodo 2016 hasta 2020. Se utilizó las palabras clave: coordinación motora, competencia motora, KTK, niños, confiabilidad. Se seleccionó 10 estudios transversales. Los rangos de edad y el tamaño de la muestra oscilaron entre 4 hasta los 14 años e incluye un tamaño de muestra desde 64 hasta 3738. De los 10 estudios, 2 han utilizado tres criterios de confiabilidad (estabilidad, equivalencia y consistencia interna), 3 utilizaron medidas de estabilidad, y 4 de equivalencia. Las medidas de estabilidad reportadas varían de 0,60 a 0,99, las medidas de equivalencia desde 0,75 a 0,99 y por medio de consistencia interna 0,95. En conclusión, se verificó que los estudios trasversales que evalúan las pruebas de KTK fueron realizadas por lo general en niños de ambos géneros y aplicados en rangos de edad desde los 4 hasta los 14 años como lo sugiere la propuesta original y los tipos de confiabilidad utilizados variaron entre los estudios desde moderado hasta excelente.