SUMMARYAim: The objective of the study was to report gender and age-specific percentile values for fourteen commonly used field-based physical fitness tests among a national representative sample of Polish children aged 7 to 19 years.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional and population-based study examines the physical fitness among a random and large national representative sample of schoolchildren aged 7 to 19 years in Poland. A sample of 49,281 children and adolescents (25,687 boys and 23,594 girls) was assessed by the EUROFIT fitness test battery, the International Committee on the Standardization of Physical Fitness Tests and Cooper Test of physical fitness. The LMS statistical method was used.Results: Smoothed gender and age-specific percentiles for the physical fitness tests in boys and girls aged 7 to 19 years are reported and expressed as both tabulated and curves values (2.3rd, 9th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 91st, and 97.7th). Figures showed greater physical fitness levels in boys, except for the flamingo balance, sit-and-reach, and stand-and-reach tests, in which girls performed slightly better. There was also a trend towards increased physical fitness levels as the age increased in both boys and girls. Conclusion:The percentile values provided will enable the correct interpretation and monitoring of fitness status of Polish children.

Background It’s really important to measure the actual functional physical fitness of elderly independent living persons from different environments to know the level and rate of decrease may inform about the threat of loss of functional independence, hence the need to monitor and assess the senior’s motor realm and adapt to it the appropriate programs and treatments in the care for the elderly person. Methods The study involved 5367 people (mean age 69,63 ± 7,06), including 4164 women (mean age 69,55 ± 7,11) and 1203 men (mean age 69,91 ± 6,86) aged 60 to 93 years old. We have measured basic anthropometric features and physical fitness (by using Senior Fitness Test). Results The average values in individual SFT tests significantly decrease along with age. After age of 80 and 85 there were no sex differences in SFT. The largest deficits concern the dynamic balance and the decrease reaches 69% in men and 62% in women A significantly higher rate of decline in aerobic capacity concerns men (43%) than women (36.9%). A clearly lower rate of loss occurs in the muscular strength of the lower and upper body and does not exceed 30%. Conclusions The results are of great clinical importance for the development of effective prevention and gerontological education programs in terms of promoting active lifestyle and successful ageing, at the same time limiting the economic consequences of treatment and hospitalisation.

Objectives(1) To develop reference values for health-related fitness in European children and adolescents aged 6–18 years that are the foundation for the web-based, open-access and multilanguage fitness platform (FitBack); (2) to provide comparisons across European countries.MethodsThis study builds on a previous large fitness reference study in European youth by (1) widening the age demographic, (2) identifying the most recent and representative country-level data and (3) including national data from existing fitness surveillance and monitoring systems. We used the Assessing Levels of PHysical Activity and fitness at population level (ALPHA) test battery as it comprises tests with the highest test–retest reliability, criterion/construct validity and health-related predictive validity: the 20 m shuttle run (cardiorespiratory fitness); handgrip strength and standing long jump (muscular strength); and body height, body mass, body mass index and waist circumference (anthropometry). Percentile values were obtained using the generalised additive models for location, scale and shape method.ResultsA total of 7 966 693 test results from 34 countries (106 datasets) were used to develop sex-specific and age-specific percentile values. In addition, country-level rankings based on mean percentiles are provided for each fitness test, as well as an overall fitness ranking. Finally, an interactive fitness platform, including individual and group reporting and European fitness maps, is provided and freely available online (www.fitbackeurope.eu).ConclusionThis study discusses the major implications of fitness assessment in youth from health, educational and sport perspectives, and how the FitBack reference values and interactive web-based platform contribute to it. Fitness testing can be conducted in school and/or sport settings, and the interpreted results be integrated in the healthcare systems across Europe.

The aim of the study is to present social distances in biological development of youth in the period of changes in economic and political situation in Poland.Material and methods: 1. Nationwide study of children and adolescents aged 7.5 to 19.5 years started in 1979 and repeated every decade till 2009, 2. Survey conducted in the region of eastern Poland in 1987 and 2007, 3. Study of rural girls repeated four times between 1967 and 2001. The differences in body height and age at menarche between the inhabitants of towns and rural areas, as well as the differences between rural girls determined by diversified source of income for the family, will be presented. The age at menarche (AM) in each study was calculated using probit method. A monotonic decrease in body height differences between the inhabitants of towns, and girls living in rural areas was observed. On the basis of nationwide studies arithmetic means of the differences in terms of age were 1.9 cm in 1979 and 0.82 in 2009. At the same time, differences in the AM among girls in compared agglomerations decreased from 0.36 to 0.26, respectively. In eastern region of Poland the difference in body height between the residents of towns and villages in 1987 was 1.76 cm, and in 2007, only 0.38 cm; the difference of AM decreased from 0.41 to 0.14 years.The research conducted on inhabitants of rural areas has shown the earliest maturation and slightly greater body height for girls from landless families and the latest maturation and the smallest body height for the daughters of farmers. The differences in AM between the two groups decreased from 0.53 years in 1967 to 0.15 in 2001.The political transformation (1989) unequally influenced people on different levels of urbanization, different socio-professional groups and residents of various regions of the country, but was reflected in the results of anthropological research.The largest social advancement measured in terms of acceleration of maturation in the period covered by the research was characteristic for rural girls, especially the daughters of farmers.

Objectives: (1) To develop reference values for health-related fitness European children and adolescents aged 6-18 years that are the foundation for the web-based, open-access and multi-language fitness platform (FitBack); (2) To provide comparisons across European countries. Methods: This study builds on a previous large fitness reference study in European youth by: (1) widening the age demographic, (2) identifying the most recent and representative country-level data, and (3) including national data from existing fitness surveillance and monitoring systems. We used the ALPHA test battery as it comprises tests with the highest test-retest reliability, criterion/construct validity, and health-related predictive validity: the 20-m shuttle run (cardiorespiratory fitness); handgrip strength and standing long jump (muscular strength); and body height, body mass, body mass index, and waist circumference (anthropometry). Percentile values were obtained using the GAMLSS method. Results: A total of 7,966,693 data points from 34 countries (106 datasets) were used to develop sex- and age-specific percentile values. In addition, country-level rankings based on mean percentiles are provided for each fitness test, as well as an overall fitness ranking. Finally, an interactive fitness platform, including individual and group reporting, and European fitness maps, is provided and freely available at www.fitbackeurope.eu . Conclusions: This study discusses the major implications of fitness assessment in youth from a health, educational and sport perspective, and how the FitBack reference values and interactive web-based platform contribute to it. Fitness testing can be conducted in school and/or sport settings, and the interpreted results be integrated in the healthcare systems across Europe.