Physical fitness in preschool children: association with sex, age and weight status

Román, Pedro Ángel Latorre; Castillo, Rafael Moreno del; Zurita, Manuel Lucena; Sánchez, Jesús María Silva; García‐Pinillos, Felipe; López, David Mora

doi:10.1111/cch.12404

Cited by 43 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Moreover, Reilly et al () showed that a PA programme in a nursery (three 30‐min sessions a week over 24 weeks) did not reduce BMI in preschoolers. Along the same lines, Latorre Román et al () argued that the relationship between physical fitness and BMI is inconsistent in preschool children. Conversely, overweight children (ages 43 to 84 months) show lower performance in gross motor skills in relation to healthy‐weight children (Krombholz, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Effects of a physical activity programme in the school setting on physical fitness in preschool children

Román

Mora-López

García‐Pinillos

2018

Child

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Effects of a physical activity programme in the school setting on physical fitness in preschool children

Román

Mora-López

García‐Pinillos

2018

Child

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“…35 These findings are consistent with other reports considering PF and GMC in a univariate fashion. 37,38 The novel finding was that this increase was greater in GMC z than in PF z , which may reflect a non-synchronicity in their developmental timing and tempo across age.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

A multivariate multilevel analysis of youth motor competence. The Peruvian Health and Optimist Growth Study

Santos

Bustamante

Hedeker

et al. 2020

Scandinavian Med Sci Sports

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We use a multivariate multilevel model to study the links between physical fitness (PF) and gross motor coordination (GMC) and investigate the influence of predictors affecting their levels across age. We sampled 7918 Peruvians, aged 6-15 years, from sea-level, Amazon region and high-altitude. Composite markers of GMC and PF were derived (GMC z and PF z , respectively). BMI, biological maturation, and stunting were assessed. School characteristics were obtained via an objective audit. School contexts explained 35% of the associations between PF z and GMC z , whereas children's characteristics explained 65% of the total variation. On average, with increasing age, there was a greater increase in GMC z (β = 0.79 ± 0.04, P < .001) than in PF z (β = 0.15 ± 0.03, P < .001); boys outperformed girls (PF z , β = 3.25 ± 0.08, P < .001; GMC z , β = 1.58 ± 0.09, P < .001); those with lower BMI and ahead in their maturation had higher PF z (β = −0.13 ± 0.01, P < .001; β = 1.09 ± 0.05, P < .001, respectively) and GMC z (β = −0.18 ± 0.01, P < .001; β = 0.39 ± 0.06, P < .001, respectively) levels. Stunting was negatively related to PF z (β = −0.30 ± 0.07; P < .001) and GMC z (β = −0.30 ± 0.08, P < .001) and high-altitude Peruvians had significantly lower GMC z (β = −0.93 ± 0.33, P < .001), and those living in the Amazon region had significantly higher PF z (β = 1.21 ± 0.58, P < .001) compared to those living at sea level. A higher number of students was negatively related to PF z (β = −0.016 ± 0.006, P < .001) and positively with GMC z (β = 0.005 ± 0.003, P < .001); the duration of physical education classes was positively associated with PF z (β = 0.70 ± 0.32, P < .001) and GMC z (β = 0.46 ± 0.15, P < .001); and the existence of policies for physical activity was only negatively associated with GMC z (β = −1.17 ± 0.34, P < .001). In conclusion, PF z and GMC z were positively correlated and child-and school-level traits predicted their levels.

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“…Moreover, the other authors [9] indicated also that BMI-group-related differences in physical fitness can already be present in preschool-age children. Accordingly, Vameghi et al [20] suggested that both overweight and obese children have lower performance in fitness tests than normal-weight children [20] Otherwise, in the study with Spain pre-schoolers, BMI did not correlate with physical fitness [8]. It has been consistently reported that a low level of cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength in children are associated with low bone mass, metabolic risk factors, cardiovascular diseases and premature mortality later in life [17].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…However, the reported level of physical activity (PA) and physical fitness of children has decreased during the last decades [5]. In addition, physical fitness, adiposity and the distribution of body fat during childhood have shown a high correlation with cardiovascular health in adulthood [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical fitness in preschoolers according to body composition

Riso

Toplaan

Viira

et al. 2019

AKUT

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The objective of this study was to investigate physical fitness of preschoolaged children just before entering school according to their body mass index, and to examine possible associations of body mass index, fat mass and fat-free mass with physical fitness in preschool-aged children. Two hundred and fifty-six preschoolers aged 6 to 7 years participated in the study. Physical fitness was assessed using PREFIT test battery and body composition was estimated using four skinfold thickness parameters. Overweight children had lower cardiorespiratory fitness and lower results in all weight-bearing fitness tests, and better handgrip strength test result in comparison with normal-weight children. Significant associations were found between body composition indices and the results of physical fitness tests. Higher BMI associated negatively with weight-bearing physical fitness tests. The results of the research indicate that weight-status and body composition have significant effect on physical fitness in 6–7 years old preschoolers.

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Physical fitness in preschool children: association with sex, age and weight status

Cited by 43 publications

References 26 publications

Effects of a physical activity programme in the school setting on physical fitness in preschool children

Effects of a physical activity programme in the school setting on physical fitness in preschool children

A multivariate multilevel analysis of youth motor competence. The Peruvian Health and Optimist Growth Study

Physical fitness in preschoolers according to body composition

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