Muscle strength (MS) is considered important indicative of global health regardless of age or clinical condition. The aim of this study was to summarize evidence from research carried out in Brazil that investigated MS in school children and adolescents, showing the objectives, tests, protocols and quantitative of youngsters who met the health criteria for MS. Systematic review conducted in the PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Sportdiscus, LILACS and Scielo databases, with complementary searches in reference lists. In all articles, the risk of bias was analyzed. Of the 15,609 articles initially identified, 27 were included, comprising data from 29,604 children and adolescents. The 27 studies included presented moderate (37%) and low risk of bias (63%). Three out of four studies investigating MS in children and adolescents were carried out in southern and southeastern Brazil (77.7%). It was found that 65.9% of boys and 58.2% of girls had adequate levels of MS for health, with results varying from 14.8% to 66.0% in girls and from 20.4% to 76.9% in boys. Several MS measurement protocols were identified; however, horizontal jump was the most used test to evaluate MS (59.2%). MS is a physical valence searched in children and adolescents and a variety of protocols are used. In addition, it is necessary to propose MS cutoff points based on health criteria for the accurate estimation of this physical valence in children and adolescents in Brazil.

Objective: To analyze the sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated with excessive weight (EW), abdominal obesity (AO) and the simultaneous presence of EW and AO in adolescents from Southern Brazil. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 583 adolescents (11 to 17 years old) of Criciúma, Santa Catarina, Brazil. EW was assessed by body mass index (BMI) and AO by waist circumference (WC). The independent variables analyzed were gender, age, maternal schooling, balanced diet, physical activity, cigarette use, excessive alcohol use and screen time. Binary logistic regression was used to estimate Odds Ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Results: Boys had 58% higher likelihood of having EW (OR 1.58; 95%CI 1.08-2.29; p<0.05). Younger age group (11 to 14 years) was directly associated with higher likelihood of EW (OR 6.07; 95%CI 4.05-9.11; p<0.05). Adolescents whose mothers had higher education had 75% more likelihood of having AO (OR 1.75; 95%CI 1.01-3.00; p<0.05). Higher likelihood for EW and AO (OR 1.84; 95%CI 1.01-3.34; p<0.05) was identified in younger adolescents (11 to 14 years). Conclusions: Boys and younger age (11 to 14 years) were associated with a higher likelihood of EW. Adolescents whose mothers studied nine years or more were more likely to have AO. The younger age group (11 to 14 years) was associated with greater chances for the simultaneous presence of EW and AO.

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Objective: To identify sociodemographic, physical activity, and physical fitness factors associated with flexibility. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 909 adolescents (486 girls) aged 14 to 19 years from the city of São José, Santa Catarina, Brazil. To evaluate flexibility, we used the sit and reach test. Sociodemographic and physical activity data were collected by a self-administered questionnaire. We analyzed muscle strength with manual dynamometry. Aerobic fitness was assessed with the modified Canadian aerobic fitness test, and physical activity with a questionnaire. We used multiple linear regression to identify the variables associated with flexibility, with a significance level of 5%. Results: For each additional centimeter in the girls’ levels of flexibility, the boys were 2.94 cm less flexible. In addition, the increment of 0.12 kg/force in muscle strength levels increased the levels of flexibility in 1 cm. Conclusions: Lower levels of flexibility were associated with male adolescents and with reduced strength levels.

The aim of the study was to update Brazilian evidence on the prevalence of children and adolescents who met health criteria for aerobic fitness. This systematic review is part of the Report Card Brazil Project and the search was restricted to studies published during the period from January 2018 to December 2019 in nine electronic databases. Studies with different designs, which allowed extracting information about the prevalence of children and adolescents who met health criteria for aerobic fitness (age up to 19 years or average age up to 19 years) were included. Studies published from 2020 were not included due to the possible effect of the pandemic on this indicator and because there is no certainty as to when the pandemic will end. Of the 694 studies initially identified, 13 studies with information of 14,673 children and adolescents were included after reading titles, abstracts, full texts and references. The prevalence of children and adolescents who met health criteria for aerobic fitness was 26.9% (29.7% for girls; 44.6% for boys). In this search, eight different cutoff points were used to determine adequate aerobic fitness levels and five tests were used to determine aerobic fitness. Analyzing data from the present review with the previous systematic review of this project, one third of children and adolescents in Brazil meet health criteria for aerobic fitness.

The present study aimed to identify and summarize evidence regarding muscle strength (MS) levels in school children and adolescents (≤ 19 years) in Brazil in order to update previously published evidence from the Report Card Brazil project. The systematic search for information was conducted in seven databases, restricted to studies published during the period from January 2018 to December 2019. Thirteen studies were included, which gathered information from 10,135 children and adolescents from seven Brazilian states. Different tests/protocols for assessing MS were identified, however, handgrip strength was the test most adopted in studies (53.8%). The prevalence of children and adolescents with MS levels considered healthy was 29.8%, considering the totality of information, and 27.6% for males and 31.8% for females. Considering full data reviewed by the Report Card Brazil project (data analyzed in this study in addition to those previously published), information regarding the assessment of MS levels in children and adolescents in Brazil came from studies conducted during the period from 2010 to 2019, which included a sample of 15,208 children and adolescents (aged 7-19 years). According to this information, the prevalence of children and adolescents with MS levels considered healthy in this period was 57.8%, 61.1% for males and 58.8% for females.

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The objective was to estimate the prevalence and the factors of behaviors of provocation and control of the weight associated with dissatisfaction with the body image among adolescents. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 580 adolescents (11 to 17 years old) from Criciúma, Brazil. The body image was evaluated by the silhouettes scale and the behaviors of provocation and weight control by questionnaires. A multinomial logistic regression was used (p ≤ 0.05). Results: Of the total number of adolescents, 48.6% were dissatisfied with being overweight (male 47.9%, female 49.3%) and 22.9% dissatisfied with thinness (male 23.8%, female 22.1%). Male adolescents who were dissatisfied with being overweight were more likely to be joked and laughed at because of their appearance and lower chances of being nicknames due to their size or body weight, while those who were unsatisfied with being thin were more likely to joke and laughter because of the appearance, compared to satisfied. Female adolescents who were dissatisfied with being overweight were more likely to be laughed at because they were uncoordinated and without food for 24 h, while those who were unsatisfied with being thin were less likely to be joking and laughing because of their appearance and higher chances to be the targets of laughter because they are uncoordinated, compared to those that are satisfied. Conclusion: The dissatisfaction with body image was associated with different behaviors of provocation and weight control according to sex.