Well-Being, Obesity and Motricity Observatory in Childhood and Youth (WOMO): A Study Protocol

Abstract

Background: Childhood obesity is one of the greatest public health problems facing advanced societies, and Spain is one of the countries with the highest incidence. There are many studies that monitor at the national level, but given the lack of specificity, lack of updating and scarcity of epidemiological data on overweight, obesity, physical condition and well-being of children and adolescents in Extremadura, it seems necessary to create a Well-being, Obesity and Motricity Observatory in Childhood and Youth (WOMO) in Extremadura in order to follow up on the evolution of this problem and to propose strategies to combat it. Therefore, this project aims (1) to obtain information on the physical condition, body composition and well-being of children and youth in Extremadura every year and (2) to evaluate the relationship between obesity, overweight, physical condition, well-being, self-perceived physical fitness, physical activity adherence, physical literacy, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), happiness and satisfaction with life, connection with nature, barriers to sports practice, self-concept and bullying in children and youth. Methods: An annual monitoring cross-sectional and follow-up study will be performed. Primary outcome measures will be (1) personal data and anthropometric measurements, (2) family and school information, (3) physical condition, (4) obesity and overweight level, and (5) well-being. Secondary outcome measures will be (1) self-perceived physical fitness, (2) physical activity adherence, (3) physical literacy, (4) HRQoL, (5) happiness and satisfaction with life, (6) connection with nature, (7) barriers to sports practice, (8) self-concept and (9) bullying. Discussion: This project will provide valuable information to adopt appropriate strategies to reduce the level of overweight and obesity in children and youth. Furthermore, orientations will be given to transfer the results obtained to the business sector or to the public sector to evaluate or change the policies adopted.

Influence of Body Composition on Physical Fitness in Adolescents

“…In this project, a variety of tools were used to assess physical condition and body composition. We followed the procedures proposed in the study protocol WOMO [8], which allowed controlled outcomes associated with monitoring overweightness and obesity, as well as the lifestyles of children and adolescents.…”

“…Due to the lack of specificity, the need for continuous updating, and the scarcity of epidemiological data on overweightness, obesity, and physical fitness, an observatory named the Well-Being, Obesity, and Motricity Observatory in Childhood and Youth (WOMO) was created, to monitor the weight and fitness status of children and adolescents, knowing their lifestyles, and developing or proposing different strategies to combat and prevent this problem. Specifically, it was created to evaluate the 10- to 17-year-old population due to the lack of data [ 8 ].…”

Temporal trend of cardiorespiratory endurance in urban Catalan high school students over a 20 year period

“…For instance, Spain is one of the countries with the highest incidence of overweight and obesity in the world (Wijnhoven et al, 2014). The Spanish National Health Survey (SNHS), reporting data of children and adolescents aged between 2 and 17 years, determined that the percentage of overweight (body mass index) and obesity in Spain was 28.6% (Mendoza-Muñoz et al, 2020). For this reason, it has become one of the greatest challenges for public health in the 21st century because it represents a high cost for the healthcare system (Ortega, Ruiz & Castillo, 2013).…”

“…Moreover, adolescence is a crucial stage towards a healthy lifestyle because puberty is a key period for skeletal mineralization and obesity prevention (Smith et al, 2014). In addition, recent studies have shown an increasing trend of adolescents towards a sedentary lifestyle, considering it as the disease of the 21st century (Mendoza-Muñoz et al, 2020), and suggesting that the recommended levels of physical exercise are not achieved (García-Hermoso, Ramírez-Vélez & Saavedra, 2019).…”

Peer Review #2 of "Temporal trend of cardiorespiratory endurance in urban Catalan high school students over a 20 year period (v0.1)"

“…Moreover, adolescence is a crucial stage towards a healthy lifestyle because puberty is a key period for skeletal mineralization and obesity prevention (Smith et al, 2014). In addition, recent studies have shown an increasing trend of adolescents towards a sedentary lifestyle, considering it as the disease of the 21 st century (Mendoza-Muñoz et al, 2020), and suggesting that the recommended levels of physical exercise are not achieved (García-Hermoso, Ramírez-Vélez & Saavedra, 2019).…”