Reliability of the ALPHA Health-Related Fitness Test Battery in Adolescents With Down Syndrome

Abstract

The Assessing Levels of Physical Activity (ALPHA) health-related fitness test battery is a set of reliable, valid, and feasible tests to assess health-related physical fitness in children and in adolescents. The aim of this study was to examine the reliability of this battery in adolescents with Down syndrome (DS). The extended ALPHA health-related fitness test battery was performed twice within 1 month in 17 apparently healthy adolescents, aged 12-18 years, with DS who had an intelligence quotient ≥ 35. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to determinate test-retest reliability, and nonparametric Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare mean differences between measurements. With the exception of subscapular skinfold test, which obtained a moderate agreement (ICC = 0.64), all tests had a very high reliability: the 20-m shuttle-run test (ICC = 0.86), the right handgrip strength test (ICC = 0.86), the left handgrip strength test (ICC = 0.86), the standing broad jump test (ICC = 0.85), body mass index (ICC = 0.95), waist circumference (ICC = 0.98), triceps skinfold (ICC = 0.85), and the 4 × 10-m shuttle-run test (ICC = 0.92). There were no significant differences (all p > 0.05) in any of the tests. The ALPHA health-related fitness battery is reliable for measuring health-related components of fitness in adolescents with DS.

Leaving school and its outcomes on adolescents’ behavioral goals and change cognitions to times physically and socially inactive

“…Confirmed in the case of this study by increased levels of body dissatisfaction and disordered among our dropout sample [40]. Subjecting in one hand that school dropout is a factor contributing to low fitness and health relative to mental health and life satisfaction [41]. Where in other the time spent in school enhanced the benefits of PE curricular as a healthy lifestyle for our scholars.…”

Effect of continuous aerobic vs. interval training on selected anthropometrical, physiological and functional parameters of adults with Down syndrome

“…:160) and in adolescents with DS (ICC = 0.86) (Tejero‐Gonzalez et al . :3221) and in adults with DS (ICC = 0.97) (Boer & Moss ).…”

Reliability and Validity of Physical Fitness Field‐Based Tests in Down Syndrome: A Systematic Review

“…Two test batteries were found to include field tests oriented at assessing PF whose reliability was appropriately reported in a number of studies. In this regard, Tejero‐González et al () analyzed ALPHA battery reliability, which features assessments of aerobic endurance, muscular strength and agility. The Bruininks‐Oseretsky battery, short form BOT‐2 provided information about strength (Lin & Wuang, ) and balance (Villamonte et al, ) subtest reliability.…”

“…Notwithstanding, individuals with DS were under‐represented, and neither of the studies featured reliability results presented separately. In this respect, administering the ALPHA fitness test battery (which is not included in the aforementioned reviews) proved that the 20‐meter version of the field test was indeed reliable, even though the number of adolescents with DS included was relatively small in that case (Tejero‐Gonzalez et al, ).…”