Measuring Aerobic Fitness of Hispanic Youth 10 to 12 years of Age

Abstract

Obesity is a major health problem in the U.S., especially for Hispanic youth. Because maximal/peak oxygen consumption (V·O₂peak) is one predictor of future weight gain in children, valid field-based methods for determining V·O₂peak in Hispanic children are needed. The purpose of this study was to validate a field-based aerobic fitness test, the 20-m shuttle test (20-MST), in Hispanic boys (n = 58) and girls (n = 67), 10 - 12 years old (mean age ± SD, 10.7 ± 0.6 y). Measured V·O₂peak was determined during a maximal, graded treadmill test using the Bruce protocol. The 20-MST was administered per a standard protocol. Maximal speed attained on the 20-MST and age were used to estimate V·O₂peak. An intraclass coefficient of 0.82 was obtained on 35 students (16 boys; r = 0.85 and 19 girls; r = 0.79) who completed the 20-MST twice, 1-wk apart. Estimated (44.3 ml × kg^-1 × min^-1 ) and measured (45.1 ml × kg^-1 × min^-1) V·O₂peak were not significantly different (p = 0.33). The correlation between the two V·O₂peak parameters was r = 0.62; p < 0.001, the standard error of the estimate (SEE) was 3.91 ml × kg^-1 × min^-1, and 85.5 % of the measured V·O₂peak values fell within 5.9 ml × kg^-1 × min^-1 of estimated V·O₂peak. The weight status of the child did not significantly change these results. The 20-MST combined with the Leger et al. equation is a valid method for predicting V·O₂peak in Hispanic youth. The test can be used to provide valuable information for intervention design and disease prevention.

Key words

Measurement - cardiorespiratory fitness - field-based assessment - exercise

References

• 1 Armstrong N, Williams J, Ringham D. Peak oxygen uptake and progressive shuttle run performance in boys aged 11 - 14 years.  British J Physical Ed. 1988;  19 10-11
• 2 Barnett A, Chan L YS, Bruce I C. A preliminary study of the 20-m multistage shuttle run as a predictor of peakO₂ in Hong Kong Chinese students.  Pediatr Exerc Sci. 1993;  5 42-50
• 3 Baumgartner T, Jackson A (eds). Measurement for Evaluation in Physical Education and Exercise Science. Madison, WI: Brown and Benchmark 1996: 128--
• 4 Bland J M, Altman D G. Statistical methods for assessing agreement between two methods of clinical measurement. Lancet 1986; Feb: 307-310
• 5 Boreham C A, Paliczka V J, Nichols A K. A comparison of the PWC170 and 20-MST tests of aerobic fitness in adolescent school children.  J Sports Med Phy Fit. 1990;  30 19-23
• 6 Borg G. Perceived exertion as an indicator of somatic stress.  Scand J Rehab Med. 1970;  2 92-98
• 7 Bruce R A, Kusumi F, Hosmer D. Maximal oxygen intake and nomographic assessment of functional aerobic impairment in cardiovascular disease.  Am Heart J. 1973;  85 546-562
• 8 Fernhall B, Pitetti K H, Vukovich M D, Stubbs N, Hensen T, Winnick J P, Short F X. Validation of cardiovascular fitness field tests in children with mental retardation.  Am J Ment Retard. 1998;  102 602-612
• 9 Franks B D. YMCA youth fitness test manual. Champaign, IL; Human Kinetics 1989
• 10 Johnson M S, Figueroa-Colon R, Herd S L, Fields D A, Sun M, Hunter G R, Goran M I. Aerobic fitness, not energy expenditure, influences subsequent increase in adiposity in black and white children.  Pediatrics. 2000;  106 e50-e55
• 11 Leger L A, Lambert J. A maximal multistage 20-m shuttle run test to predict V·O₂peak.  Euro J Appl Physiol. 1982;  49 1-12
• 12 Leger L A, Mercier D, Gadoury C, Lambert J. The multistage 20 meter shuttle run test for aerobic fitness.  J Sports Sci. 1988;  6 93-101
• 13 Lohman T G. Skinfolds and body density and relation to body fatness: A review.  Human Biology. 1981;  53 181-225
• 14 Liu N, Plowman S A, Looney M A. The reliability and validity of the 20-meter shuttle test in American students 12 to 15 years old.  Res Quart Exer Sport. 1992;  63 360-365
• 15 Mahoney C. 20-MST and PWC170 validity in non-Caucasian children in the UK.  Br J Sports Med. 1992;  26 45-47
• 16 Malina R M, Zavaleta A N, Little B B. Estimated overweight and obesity in Mexican American school children.  Inter J Obes. 1986;  10 483-491
• 17 McArdle W D, Katch F I, Katch V L. Essentials of Exercise Physiology (2nd ed). Philadelphia (PA); Lippincott, Williams, & Wilkins 2000
• 18 Melnik T A, Rhoades S J, Wales K R, Cowell C, Wolfe W S. Overweight school children in New York City: prevalence estimates and characteristics.  Inter J Obes. 1998;  22 7-13
• 19 Naughton L M, Cooley D, Kearney V, Smith S. A comparison of two different shuttle run tests for the estimation of V·O₂peak.  J Sports Med Phys Fit. 1996;  36 85-89
• 20 Payne V G, Morrow J R. Exercise and V·O₂max in children: A meta-analysis.  Res Quart Exerc Sport. 1993;  64 305-313
• 21 Perry A C, Tremblay L M, Signorile J F, Kaplan T A, Miller P C. Fitness, diet and coronary risk factors in a sample of southeastern U.S. children.  Appl Human Sci. 1997;  16 133-141
• 22 Phillips R G, Hill A J. Fat, plain, but not friendless: self-esteem and peer acceptance of obese pre-adolescents girls.  Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1998;  22 287-293
• 23 Rosner B, Prineas R, Loggie J, Daniels S R. Percentiles for body mass index in U.S. children 5 to 17 years of age.  J Pediatr. 1998;  132 211-222
• 24 SPSS for Windows, Rel. 10.05. 1999. Chicago: SPSS Inc. 
• 25 Stern M P. Diabetes in Hispanic Americans. Harris MI, Hamman R (eds) In: Diabetes in America. Washington, DC; US GPO August 1985: IX-1 - 11 (NIH publication no. 85 - 1468)
• 26 Suminski R R, Poston W S, Jackson A S, Foreyt J P. Early identification of Mexican American children who are at risk for becoming obese.  Int J Obes. 1999;  23 823-829
• 27 The Cooper Institute for Aerobics Fitness .FITNESSGRAM (Test Administration Manual,. Champaign, IL; Human Kinetics 1999
• 28 Trevino R P, Marshall R M, Hale D E, Rodriquez R, Baker G, Gomez J. Diabetes risk factors in low-income Mexican-American children.  Diabetes Care. 1999;  22 202-207
• 29 Troiano R P, Flegal K M. Overweight children and adolescents: Description, epidemiology, and demographics.  Pediatrics. 1998;  101 497-504
• 30 van Mechelen W, Hlobil H, Kemper H CG. Validation of two running tests as estimates of maximal aerobic power in children.  Euro J Appl Physiol Occ Physiol. 1986;  55 503-506
• 31 Welk GJ, Morrow JRJ, Falls HB. Fitnessgram Reference Guide. Dallas, TX; The Cooper Institute 2002
• 32 Whitaker R C, Wright J A, Pepe M S, Seidel K D, Dietz W H. Predicting obesity in young adulthood from childhood and parental obesity.  N Engl J Med. 1997;  337 869-873