Flexibility of Brazilian children and adolescents: a systematic review of the literature

Abstract

Flexibility is related to specific tissue properties of the body, which aim to determine the maximum range of motion of the joints without injury. This study aimed to identify and summarize the evidence on prevalence of adequate levels of flexibility in Brazilian children and adolescents (6 to 19 years old). We performed a systematic search of studies published from 2009 to 2019 in six databases (MEDLINE/PubMed; Scopus; SportDiscus; LILACS; Web of Science; SCIELO). Fourteen studies that compiled data from 11,666 participants in seven different Brazilian states were included. All studies conducted sit and reach tests to assess flexibility. Among all the children and adolescents in the analyzed studies, 58.9% of the total (62.0% of boys and 50.9% of girls) had adequate flexibility. We conclude that more than half of Brazilian children and adolescents have adequate flexibility for health.

Results from Brazil’s 2022 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Adolescents

“…Another interesting aspect is that only 3 out of 10 Brazilian children and adolescents spend up to two hours a day in front of a screen, and most of the findings use subjective measures [ 12 ]. For Active Play, six studies that were restricted to analyzing the fact of playing or not playing did not specify the time spent on activities [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ], which limits the proposition of strategies for guiding educators and stakeholders.…”

“…The protocol for this research was published on the Open Science Framework (OSF) platform ( , accessed on 1 March 2022). To gather the best evidence available in Brazil on each indicator, the following strategies were adopted: Fourteen systematic reviews were conducted [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ], covering the following indicators: (1) Overall Physical Activity; (2) Organized Sport and Physical Activity; (3) Active Play; (4) Active Transportation; (5) Sedentary Behaviors; (6) Sleep; (7) Family and Peers; (8) Community and Environment; (9) Physical Fitness; (10) Obesity; (11) Poor Mental Health. In all systematic reviews, only studies with a sample of Brazilian children and adolescents published until December 2019—that is, before the COVID-19 pandemic—were considered eligible.…”

“…The target age for the samples investigated in the systematic reviews of this current report was adolescent children aged 5 to 19 years. All details about the samples can be consulted in previously published articles [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]; For the School indicator, an original study [ 26 ] was conducted with public data from the National Institute for Educational Studies and Research Anísio Teixeira (INEP); For the indicator related to Governmental Strategies and Investments, analyses were based on official information from the Brazilian Federal Government, in which official websites of the different Ministries in Brazil, national surveys of the federal government, and technical reports on the subject were researched. One paper about this indicator has been published [ 27 ].…”

“…The target age for the samples investigated in the systematic reviews of this current report was adolescent children aged 5 to 19 years. All details about the samples can be consulted in previously published articles [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ];…”

“…Furthermore, in all articles, the results are discussed in depth, and improvement strategies for each indicator are presented. The articles were published in peer-reviewed and open access journals [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ].…”