Influence of Activity Patterns in Fitness During Youth

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze longitudinal associations between cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity and body mass index in a 4-year longitudinal study. 170 students (97 girls and 73 boys) aged at baseline from 11 to 17 years were followed. Students performed 20-m-SR; physical activity patterns and parents’ education were evaluated using a standard questionnaire. Body mass index was categorized according to established cut points. In a multilevel analysis using MLwIN, 2 level structures were defined: first for individuals and second for time observations. In a longitudinal 2 level analysis, cardiorespiratory fitness was ­negatively associated with body mass index for girls and boys, respectively (p<0.05; R²=0.63; 0.62), especially with obesity category (p<0.01; R²=0.58; 0.60). In girls, independent associations were observed between CRF and PA categories regarding participation “almost every day” in organized (p<0.05; R²=0.50) and non-organized sports outside school (p<0.05; R²=0.52) and participation in sports competitions (p<0.05; R²=0.51). In boys, associations were found only with participation in sports competitions (p<0.05; R²=0.50). The results highlight the importance of youth participation in organized activities and competitive sports over time to achieve health-related fitness benefits.

Key words

longitudinal study - physical activity - cardiorespiratory fitness - body mass index - adolescence

• References

• 1 Andersen LB. Changes in physical activity are not reflected in physical fitness of older teenagers. A 2-year follow-up study. Ugeskr Laeger 1996; 158: 2113-2117
• 2 Beets MW, Pitetti KH. Contribution of physical education and sport to health-related fitness in high school students. J Sch Health 2005; 75: 25-30
• 3 Bergeron MF. Improving health through youth sports: is participation enough?. New Dir Youth Dev 2007; 26:: 27–41
• 4 Cole TJ, Bellizzi MC, Flegal KM, Dietz WH. Establishing a standard definition for child overweight and obesity worldwide: international survey. BMJ 2000; 320: 1240-1243
• 5 Cooper AR, Wedderkopp N, Wang H, Andersen LB, Froberg K, Page AS. Active travel to school and cardiovascular fitness in Danish children and adolescents. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2006; 38: 1724-1731
• 6 Ekelund U, Anderssen SA, Froberg K, Sardinha LB, Andersen LB, Brage S. Independent associations of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness with metabolic risk factors in children: the European Youth Heart Study. Diabetologia 2007; 50: 1832-1840
• 7 Gutin B, Yin Z, Humphries MC, Barbeau P. Relations of moderate and vigorous physical activity to fitness and fatness in adolescents. Am J Clin Nutr 2005; 81: 746-750
• 8 Harriss DJ, Atkinson G. Update – Ethical Standards in Sport and Exercise Science Research. Int J Sports Med 2011; 32: 819-821
• 9 Ledent M, Cloes M, Piéron M. Les jeunes, leur activité physique et leurs percepctions de la santé, de lá form, des capacités athlétics et de lápparence. ADEPS 1997; 159/160: 90-95
• 10 Lohman TG, Ring K, Pfeiffer K, Camhi S, Arredondo E, Pratt C, Pate R, Webber LS. Relationships among fitness, body composition, and physical activity. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2008; 40: 1163-1170
• 11 Martinez-Gomez D, Ruiz JR, Ortega FB, Casajus JA, Veiga OL, Widhalm K, Manios Y, Beghin L, Gonzalez-Gross M, Kafatos A, Espana-Romero V, Molnar D, Moreno LA, Marcos A, Castillo MJ, Sjostrom M. Recommended levels and intensities of physical activity to avoid low-cardio­respiratory fitness in European adolescents: The HELENA study. Am J Hum Biol 2010; 22: 750-756
• 12 Mota J, Esculcas C. Leisure-time physical activity behavior: stuctured and unstructured choices according to sex, age, and level of physical activity. Int J Behavioral Med 2002; 9: 111-121
• 13 Mota J, Guerra S, Leandro C, Pinto A, Ribeiro JC, Duarte JA. Association of maturation, sex, and body fat in cardiorespiratory fitness. Am J Hum Biol 2002; 14: 707-712
• 14 Mota J, Silva G. Adolescent’s Physical Activity: Association with Socio-Economic Status and Parental Participation among a Portuguese sample. Sport, Education and Society 1999; 4: 193-199
• 15 Must A, Bandini LG, Tybor DJ, Phillips SM, Naumova EN, Dietz WH. Activity, inactivity, and screen time in relation to weight and fatness over adolescence in girls. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2007; 15: 1774-1781
• 16 Ortega FB, Ruiz JR, Castillo MJ, Sjostrom M. Physical fitness in childhood and adolescence: a powerful marker of health. Int J Obes (Lond) 2008; 32: 1-11
• 17 Pate RR, Davis MG, Robinson TN, Stone EJ, McKenzie TL, Young JC. Promoting physical activity in children and youth: A leadership role for schools – A scientific statement from the American Heart Association Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism (Physical Activity Committee) in collaboration with the Councils on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young and Cardiovascular Nursing. Circulation 2006; 114: 1214-1224
• 18 Raitakari OT, Porkka KV, Taimela S, Telama R, Rasanen L, Viikari JS. Effects of persistent physical activity and inactivity on coronary risk factors in children and young adults. The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. Am J Epidemiol 1994; 140: 195-205
• 19 Richards R, Poulton R, Reeder AI, Williams S. Childhood and contemporaneous correlates of adolescent leisure time physical inactivity: a longitudinal study. J Adolesc Health 2009; 44: 260-267
• 20 Ruiz JR, Rizzo NS, Hurtig-Wennlof A, Ortega FB, Warnberg J, Sjostrom M. Relations of total physical activity and intensity to fitness and fatness in children: the European Youth Heart Study. Am J Clin Nutr 2006; 84: 299-303
• 21 Ruiz JR, Silva G, Oliveira N, Ribeiro JC, Oliveira JF, Mota J. Criterion-related validity of the 20-m shuttle run test in youths aged 13-19 years. J Sports Sci 2009; 27: 899-906
• 22 Stratton G, Canoy D, Boddy LM, Taylor SR, Hackett AF, Buchan IE. Cardiorespiratory fitness and body mass index of 9-11-year-old English children: a serial cross-sectional study from 1998 to 2004. Int J Obes (Lond) 2007; 31: 1172-1178
• 23 Tammelin T, Nayha S, Hills AP, Jarvelin MR. Adolescent participation in sports and adult physical activity. Am J Prev Med 2003; 24: 22-28
• 24 Tomkinson GR, Olds TS. Secular changes in pediatric aerobic fitness test performance: the global picture. Med Sport Sci 2007; 50: 46-66
• 25 Twisk JWR. Applied Longitudinal Data Analysis for Epidemiology (A pratical Guide). Cambridge University Press; 2003. 301.
• 26 van Mechelen W, Twisk JW, Post GB, Snel J, Kemper HC. Physical activity of young people: the Amsterdam Longitudinal Growth and Health Study. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2000; 32: 1610-1616
• 27 Welk G, Morrow J, Fall H. Fitnessgram Reference Guide. Dallas (TX): Cooper Institute 2002;
• 28 Wickel EE, Eisenmann JC. Contribution of youth sport to total daily physical activity among 6- to 12-yr-old boys. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2007; 39: 1493-1500