Background: The Global Matrix 4.0 on physical activity (PA) for children and adolescents was developed to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the global variation in children’s and adolescents’ (5–17 y) PA, related measures, and key sources of influence. The objectives of this article were (1) to summarize the findings from the Global Matrix 4.0 Report Cards, (2) to compare indicators across countries, and (3) to explore trends related to the Human Development Index and geo-cultural regions. Methods: A total of 57 Report Card teams followed a harmonized process to grade the 10 common PA indicators. An online survey was conducted to collect Report Card Leaders’ top 3 priorities for each PA indicator and their opinions on how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted child and adolescent PA indicators in their country. Results: Overall Physical Activity was the indicator with the lowest global average grade (D), while School and Community and Environment were the indicators with the highest global average grade (C+). An overview of the global situation in terms of surveillance and prevalence is provided for all 10 common PA indicators, followed by priorities and examples to support the development of strategies and policies internationally. Conclusions: The Global Matrix 4.0 represents the largest compilation of children’s and adolescents’ PA indicators to date. While variation in data sources informing the grades across countries was observed, this initiative highlighted low PA levels in children and adolescents globally. Measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, local/international conflicts, climate change, and economic change threaten to worsen this situation.

Introduction and Objective: This systematic review aimed to analyse the international evolution of fitness with its distributional changes in the performance on tests of physical fitness among school-aged children and adolescents.Methods: In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, the search was undertaken in four international databases (ERIC, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) to identify the studies reporting temporal trends in the physical fitness among school-aged children and adolescents.Results: A total of 485 potential articles were identified, of which 19 articles were relevant for the qualitative synthesis; 1,746,023 children and adolescents from 14 countries (China, Finland, Sweden, Belgium, New Zealand, Denmark, Spain, Norway, Mozambique, Poland, USA, Lithuania, Portugal, Canada), for the period between 1969 and 2017 were included. The subjects were tested using 45 motor tests from eight battery tests. The quality of the study in eight articles was rated as strong, while in 11 articles it was rated as moderate.Discussion: The vast majority of studies show a constant decline in strength and endurance. Three Chinese studies show an increase in strength from 1985 to 1995 and then a decline until 2014. For endurance, similar patterns were found in the two most comprehensive Chinese studies. The decline in flexibility is also evident in European countries. For agility, speed, balance, and coordination, the trend differs among populations.

A B S T R A C T The purpose of this research is to examine standing height in both Kosovan genders in the Western

The purpose of this study was to describe anthropometric characteristics and body composition of junior basketball and volleyball players from Serbian national league and to make comparison between them. Fifty-nine males were enrolled in the study divided into three groups: thirteen basketball players, fourteen volleyball players and thirty-two healthy sedentary subjects. All subjects were assessed for the anthropometric measures required for the calculation of body composition variables, using standardized procedure recommended by established literature. Data was analyzed using SPSS and the descriptive statistics were expressed as mean (SD) for each variable, while ANOVA and LSD Post Hoc tests were carried out to detect the eff ects of each type of sport. The results showed there was no signifi cant diff erence in body mass index and bone content of body among the groups, while a signifi cant diff erence was found for body height, body weight, muscle and fat contents of body among the groups. Basketball and volleyball players were signifi cantly taller and heavier than the subjects of the control group, while there was not any signifi cant diff erence between the body height and body weight of basketball and volleyball players. Muscle content of basketball players was signifi cantly higher than control subjects, while a signifi cant diff erence was not noticed between volleyball players and subjects of control group. Fat content in the body of basketball and volleyball players are signifi cantly lower than the percent of fat content in the body of control group, while there was not found any other diff erence in this content. These fi ndings may give coaches from the region better working knowledge and suggest them to follow recent selection process methods and to be more careful during the recruitment.

MASANOVIC, B.Comparative study of morphological characteristics and body composition between different team players from Serbian junior national league : soccer, handball, basketball and volleyball. Int. J. Morphol., 37(2):612-619, 2019. SUMMARY:The purpose of this study is to define every subsample with precision, to give an overview of the importance of the differences between different team players, as well as to point to the closeness along with the remoteness between them, and finally, to determine latent anthropologic characteristics which, when in interaction, contribute to significant differences and better comprehension of the specifics of every mentioned sport. Sixty-seven males were enrolled in the study, divided into four groups: twenty-five soccer players, fifteen handball players, thirteen basketball players and fourteen volleyball players. All subjects were assessed for the anthropometric measures required for the calculation of body composition variables, using the standardized procedures recommended by the established literature. Data was analysed using SPSS and the descriptive statistics were expressed as a mean (SD) for each variable, while the ANOVA and LSD Post Hoc tests were carried out to detect the effects of each type of sport, distinct features that have been identified by calculating the discrimination coefficient have determined the specifics of the subsamples, and their grouping was demonstrated by calculating Mahalanobis distance. The results showed that a significant difference was found for body height, body weight, muscle contents of body, fat contents of body, residue mass, ideal body mass and lean body mass. There is no significant difference in the body mass index and bone contents of body. It was confirmed that there is a clearly defined line between the players in different sports and it is possible to determine the characteristics of players of each sport. The results also indicate that the least amount of differences appears between volleyball and basketball, and that the sports that are most apart are volleyball and handball. Therefore, these findings may give coaches from the region a more precise top soccer, handball, basketball and volleyball player profile, and suggest them to follow recent selection process methods and be more careful during talent identification.

Physical fitness (PF) is a multi-component construct and a biomarker of health. Worse PF is related to vulnerability and predicts worse academic achievements. Thus, assessing PF is important to monitor health in youth. This systematic review aimed to identify and inform physical education, health professionals and entities about existing PF batteries and field-tests that can be used in school settings. A comprehensive literature search was carried out in five electronic databases (Academic Search Complete, Education Resources Information Center, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) to identify PF battery protocols that can be carried out in the school setting. Overall, 24 PF batteries were identified. Regarding the PF components assessed, only cardiorespiratory fitness and upper body strength were contemplated in all batteries. Middle-body strength and lower body strength were presented in most batteries (21 and 19 of 24, respectively). Agility (16 of 24) and body composition (16 of 24) were also considered in several batteries, although to a lesser extent. Flexibility (14 of 24) and speed (12 of 24) were the PF components less represented in the batteries. Among the 24 identified PF batteries, 81 PF tests assessing the different PF components were encountered. The advances in the PF field-based assessment in school settings and health in youth resulted in the amplification of the number of existing batteries. Considering the connection between PF and health and the opportunity that the school setting provides to assess fitness in children and adolescents, there is a need for standardization and a consensus of PF assessments in this specific setting.

Th is study aimed to test average body heights in both the male and females of Kosovo, as well as the diff erences in heights of both sexes in relation to the Kosovo administrative regions. A total of 1623 subjects participated in the research: 830 boys and 793 girls all attending their fi nal year of secondary school. Th e anthropometric measurements were taken for subjects of both sexes from fi ve diff erent administrative regions of Kosovo. Th e measurements of body heights were taken by trained measurers in conformity with the ISAK protocol. Means and standard deviations were calculated for ages and body heights, as were frequencies for the calculation of the density of very short and very tall subjects. Th e results indicated that the average height of the male population of Kosovo was 179.52±5.96 centimetres and of the female population 165.72±4.93 centimetres. Th ese results classify both the male and female populations of Kosovo among the tallest in the world. Regarding the regional diff erences, some variations have been observed, and the diff erences in body heights among specifi c regions clearly confi rm the assumption that the population living in the Dinaric Alps is taller in relation to the rest of the population, while the specifi c average height of the central region, where the capital city is located, refl ects the expected situation conditioned by continuous migrations from all other parts of Kosovo, as well as the fact that there is a growing secular trend towards the territory of the capital city, due to better economic and living conditions.

The aim of this study was to obtain the relevant knowledge about signifi cant diff erences in some anthropometric characteristics of junior soccer and handball players. The sample included 40 male subjects divided into two subsamples. The fi rst subsample included 25 subjects, who train in the junior selection in the Football club Vojvodina from Novi Sad, while the other subsample included 15 subjects who train in the junior selection in the Handball club Vrbas, from Vrbas. The variables sample included 20 anthropometric measures that defi ned longitudinal and transversal dimensionality of skeleton, volume and mass of the body, and subcutaneous adipose tissue. The results is analysed in a statistical procedure marked as a signifi cance testing of two arithmetic means of the independent samples, a t-test at the level of signifi cance of p<0.05. Based on the result, it was concluded that signifi cant diff erences occur in wrist diameter, ankle joint diameter, upper arm circumference (min), upper arm circumference (max), lower leg circumference (max), upper arm skinfolf, lower arm skinfold, thigh skinfold, calf skinfold, chest skinfold and abdomen skinfold, while the signifi cant diff erence does not occur in body height, bodyweight, elbow diameter, knee diameter, lower arm circumference (min), lower arm circumference (max), upper leg circumference (min), upper leg circumference (max), and lower leg circumference (min).