HEALTH AND SKILLS RELATED FITNESS INDICATORS IN ALBANIAN CHILDREN – REFERENCE VALUES FROM A COUNTRY IN TRANSITION

The aims of this study were to analyze age and gender differences for health-related fitness, physical activity and gross motor coordination level in Albanian children. Data consisted of a cross-sectional study of 1176 children between first and fourth grade elementary school (618 boys and 558 girls) aged 7-10 years old). Anthropometrics (body mass and height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, % body fat), level of gross motor coordination (Korperkoordinationstest fur Kinder, KTK) and physical activity by questionnaire (PAQ-C) were assessed. Gross motor coordination and physical activity level increased until 9 years of age and then declined. Significant gender differences (P ≤ 0.05) were found for body mass, BMI and waist circumference where boys were heavier, had higher BMI scores and had greater values in waist circumference measurement then girls. Data obtained from this study showed that boys and girls in all age group fell into the normal level of physical activity. The results from this investigation study reveal strong evidence that children in Albania show motor difficulties in everyday skills (moderate motor disorder-31.2% and severe motor disorder-8%.   Article visualizations

THREATS OF NEW GENERATION ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVEL IN ALBANIAN CHILDREN

Introduction: The decline in physical activity levels of young children appears to be increased and combined with a high prevalence of obesity in Europe (Wang and Lim, 2012; Lobstein et al., 2004). With the ever-increasing interest in exploring the actual level of children’s physical activity in Albania, a study was carried out aiming to obtain the actual level on physical activity. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 9003 children aged 7-year-old to 15-year-old (4513 boys and 4490 girls). The PAQ-C questionnaire was validated in Albanian language and used to assess the current level of PA. Results: The results showed that 42.7% of children fell below the normal level of PA (inactivity). Data split by gender showed a higher percentage of inactivity among girls (49.6%) compared to boys (36%). Finally, the results revealed a higher percentage of inactive children living in rural areas (49.2%) compared to children in urban areas (45.4%). Discussion: In conclusion, the high percentage of inactive children poses a threat for increased obesity in Albanian children. Another concern emphasized the inactivity in rural areas due to the changes of their lifestyle and behavior. References: Lobstein T, Baur L, Uauy R and Isoiot (2004). Obes Rev, 5 (Suppl 1), 4–104. Wang Y and Lim H (2012). Int Rev Psychiatry, 24(3), 176–88