Fitness differentials amongst schools: How are they related to school sector?

Olds, Tim; Tomkinson, Grant R.; Baker, Sharon

doi:10.1016/s1440-2440(03)80025-7

Cited by 7 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…This strongly supports the validity and applicability of the 20 m SRT as a useful tool in gauging fitness in less-developed areas. Consistent with international testing results (summarized in a meta-analysis of 109 studies from 37 countries [8]) we found that boys, overall, had better scores than girls. Comparison between our cohorts reveal Kenyan scores to be, overall, below those obtained in Canada for children 5–18 years [28], based, primarily on boys being less fit after 10 years of age.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…Our choice of the 20 mSRT was based on its simplicity as a field test and its validity vis a vis laboratory-based physiological testing [6]–[8], [38]. Since its development by Leger and Lambert in 1982 [38], the 20 mSRT has been widely used in the developed world as a means of estimating aerobic capacity in adults and children.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These important morbidities have been routinely underestimated in past disease burden assessments [4], [5].Quantifying physical fitness can be done by many different methods, but their implementation and frequency of use most often relate to the resources available at the site of testing. In developed countries, measuring school-age children's fitness is a common practice, and well-controlled studies have been carried out to measure the maximum aerobic capacity and to compare pre- and post-training fitness results [6]–[8]. By contrast, in low resource settings, adequate assessment of aerobic capacity has rarely been done outside the research laboratory environment, and even then, a variety of different methods have been applied, with sometimes conflicting results.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Measuring Fitness of Kenyan Children with Polyparasitic Infections Using the 20-Meter Shuttle Run Test as a Morbidity Metric

et al. 2011

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BackgroundTo date, there has been no standardized approach to the assessment of aerobic fitness among children who harbor parasites. In quantifying the disability associated with individual or multiple chronic infections, accurate measures of physical fitness are important metrics. This is because exercise intolerance, as seen with anemia and many other chronic disorders, reflects the body's inability to maintain adequate oxygen supply (VO2 max) to the motor tissues, which is frequently linked to reduced quality-of-life in terms of physical and job performance. The objective of our study was to examine the associations between polyparasitism, anemia, and reduced fitness in a high risk Kenyan population using novel implementation of the 20-meter shuttle run test (20mSRT), a well-standardized, low-technology physical fitness test.Methodology/Principal FindingsFour villages in coastal Kenya were surveyed during 2009–2010. Children 5–18 years were tested for infection with Schistosoma haematobium (Sh), malaria, filaria, and geohelminth infections by standard methods. After anthropometric and hemoglobin testing, fitness was assessed with the 20 mSRT. The 20 mSRT proved easy to perform, requiring only minimal staff training. Parasitology revealed high prevalence of single and multiple parasitic infections in all villages, with Sh being the most common (25–62%). Anemia prevalence was 45–58%. Using multiply-adjusted linear modeling that accounted for household clustering, decreased aerobic capacity was significantly associated with anemia, stunting, and wasting, with some gender differences.Conclusions/SignificanceThe 20 mSRT, which has excellent correlation with VO2, is a highly feasible fitness test for low-resource settings. Our results indicate impaired fitness is common in areas endemic for parasites, where, at least in part, low fitness scores are likely to result from anemia and stunting associated with chronic infection. The 20 mSRT should be used as a common metric to quantify physical fitness and compare sub-clinical disability across many different disorders and community settings.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Measuring Fitness of Kenyan Children with Polyparasitic Infections Using the 20-Meter Shuttle Run Test as a Morbidity Metric

et al. 2011

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“…59 Others have also found significant declines in aerobic performance (1.6 km run/walk), and these were most obvious in urban (versus rural) children, 55 and those in public (versus private) schools. 53 Using 1.6 km run/walk data from Australian surveys in 1985 and 1997, Olds and Dollman 60 found that matching for fatness across studies reduced aerobic performance differences by about 61% in boys and 37% in girls. This suggests that declines in performance cannot be entirely attributed to increased adiposity among children in later surveys.…”

Section: Trends In Fitness Levels Among Childrenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence for secular trends in children’s physical activity behaviour

2005

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It is not clear whether the global increase in weight problems in children is the result of excessive energy intake or decreasing energy expenditure. Methodological limitations have made it difficult to analyse. There is evidence that at least part of the problem may lie with increasing energy consumption, but it is important to examine the other side of the energy equation also. However, it is not possible to conclusively describe physical activity trends because of the absence of suitable baseline data. One solution is to summate all available evidence in as many areas of daily activities as possible and then draw tentative conclusions. This review summarises available trend data on direct representations of physical activity in a range of contexts, together with indirect measures such as sedentariness, fitness, and attitudes. The conclusions drawn are: physical activity in clearly defined contexts such as active transport, school physical education, and organised sports is declining in many countries; young people would like to be active but are often constrained by external factors such as school policy or curricula, parental rules in relation to safety and convenience, and physical environmental factors.

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“…However, if different development patterns in CF should be expected across socioeconomic groups over time, it seams logical also to expect a socioeconomic gradient in CF when examined in single cross-sectional studies. Studies of the association between socioeconomic position and CF in children and youth have produced inconsistent results, showing both associations (Krombholz, 1997;Olds et al, 2003) and no associations between social class and performance (Kikuchi et al, 1995;Van Lenthe et al, 2001). The inconsistent results could be due to differences in the ages, different assessment techniques of CF, as well as different classifications used to describe socioeconomic positions of the populations under study.…”

Section: Across Sesmentioning

confidence: 99%