Physical fitness diagnosis in schoolchildren of high socioeconomic status: evaluation for health criterion reference

Regular practice of systematized physical activities in childhood and adolescence may strongly favor the development or maintenance of suitable levels of physical fitness, decreasing hence the risk of incidence of several chronic-degenerative dysfunctions in early ages. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the body adiposity as well as the motor performance in high socio-economical status children, according to an evaluation for health criterion reference. Therefore, 511 students (274 boys and 237 girls), age between 7-10 years were submitted to anthropometrical measurements of body weight, height and skinfolds thickness (tricipital and subscapular) as well as the following motor tests: sitting and reaching (SR); modified abdominal (ABD) and 9 minute-run/walk (9MIN). The data were analyzed according to the cutting points suggested by the Physical Best (1988). Concerning body adiposity; a higher number of students were verified above (33% of boys and 15% of girls, P 0.05) reached the adopted cutting points. When analyzed together, it was observed that only 15% of the boys and 21% of the girls (P > 0.05) presented satisfactory results in the three motor tests used. The high prevalence of children who were above the health criteria for the body fat amount, associated with the low proportion of subjects who fulfilled the established criteria in the used motor tests group, show that the physical fitness level found in the students investigated is fairly below the expectation. The results suggest the need of developing health educational programs which stimulate more effective participation of young individuals in physical exercise and sports programs of different nature, especially at school environment where a great amount of life habits is established.A prática regular de atividades físicas sistematizadas na infância e na adolescência pode favorecer sobremaneira o desenvolvimento ou a manutenção de níveis adequados de aptidão física, reduzindo o risco de incidência de inúmeras disfunções crônico-degenerativas em idades precoces. Assim, o propósito deste estudo foi analisar a adiposidade corporal e o desempenho motor em crianças de alto nível socioeconômico, de acordo com uma avaliação referenciada por critérios de saúde. Para tanto, 511 escolares (274 meninos e 237 meninas) de sete a 10 anos, foram submetidos a medidas antropométricas de massa corporal, estatura e espessuras de dobras cutâneas (tricipital e subescapular) e aos seguintes testes motores: sentar e alcançar (SA), abdominal modificado (ABD) e corrida/caminhada de nove minutos (9MIN). As informações foram analisadas de acordo com os pontos de corte sugeridos pelo Physical Best (1988). Com relação à adiposidade corporal, verificou-se maior contingente de escolares acima (33% dos meninos e 15% das meninas, P 0,05) alcançaram os pontos de corte adotados. Quando analisados conjuntamente, constatou-se que somente 15% dos meninos e 21% das meninas (P > 0,05) apresentaram resultados satisfatórios nos três testes motores utilizados. A alta prevalência de crianças que se situaram acima do critério de saúde para quantidade de gordura corporal, associada à baixa proporção de sujeitos que atenderam aos critérios estabelecidos no conjunto dos testes motores utilizados, indica que o nível de aptidão física encontrado nos escolares investigados está bastante aquém do desejável. Os resultados sugerem a necessidade do desenvolvimento de programas de educação para a saúde que estimulem a participação mais efetiva de jovens em programas de exercícios físicos e esportes de diferentes naturezas, sobretudo no segmento escolar, no qual grande parte dos hábitos de vida são estabelecidos.7176Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Prevalence of overweight and obesity in schoolchildren of high socioeconomic level in Londrina, Paraná, Brazil

OBJECTIVE: To verify the prevalence of overweight and obesity in 7 to 10 year old schoolchildren of both sexes and high socioeconomic level. METHODS: Five hundred and eleven schoolchildren (274 boys and 237 girls) were submitted to anthropometrical measurements of body mass, stature and subscapular and triceps skin-fold thickness. Body mass indexes >85th percentile and 95th percentile were adopted as indicators of obesity. The socioeconomic level was established based on information obtained from a questionnaire, considering the degree of education of the parents and the familiar consumables. RESULTS: The total prevalence for overweight was 19.7% for the boys and 17.3% for the girls, with no significant differences amongst ages and sexes (p>0.05). On the other hand, the prevalence for obesity in the boys and girls was 17.5% and 9.3%, respectively, with significant differences between the sexes at 9 years (p0,05). Por outro lado, a prevalência de obesidade em meninos e meninas foi de 17,5% e 9,3%, respectivamente, com diferenças significantes entre os sexos aos nove (p<0,01) e dez anos (p<0,05), bem como no conjunto de todas as idades (p<0,01). CONCLUSÃO: Os resultados indicam taxas de prevalência de sobrepeso (~19%) e de obesidade (~14%) bastante superiores à média da população brasileira na faixa etária entre os sete e dez anos. Portanto, diferentemente do observado em países desenvolvidos, o alto nível socioeconômico parece afetar negativamente a prevalência de sobrepeso e obesidade, aumentando os riscos para o desenvolvimento de disfunções metabólicas em idades precoces.70971

Prevalência de sobrepeso e obesidade em escolares de alto nível socioeconômico em Londrina, Paraná, Brasil

Objective: To verify the prevalence of overweight and obesity in 7 to 10 year old schoolchildren of both sexes and high socioeconomic level. Methods: Five hundred and eleven schoolchildren (274 boys and 237 girls) were submitted to anthropometrical measurements of body mass, stature and subscapular and triceps skin-fold thickness. Body mass indexes ≥85th percentile and 0.05). On the other hand, the prevalence for obesity in the boys and girls was 17.5% and 9.3%, respectively, with significant differences between the sexes at 9 years (p<0.01) and 10 years (p<0.05) of age, as well as amongst the entire group of ages (p<0.01). Conclusion: The results indicated a high prevalence ratio for overweight (∼19%) and obesity (∼14%), much greater than the average for the 7-10 year old Brazilian population. Therefore, different from that observed in developed countries, a high socioeconomic level seems to negatively affect the prevalence for overweight and obesity, increasing the risk of the precocious development of metabolic dysfunctions

Aerobic fitness and its relationship with growth and maturation processes

The aimf of this paper is to provide information concerning aerobic fitness and then relate the behavior of aerobic strength with growth and maturation processes, since the aerobic metabolism during the practice of physical exercises has been the target of research along the last decades, both under the perspective of health promotion and the improvement of the athletic performance. In that sense, information about aerobic fitness has provided the evaluation of the cardiorespiratory system functioning, the training efficacy control, the determining of the effort relative load, besides determining the individual’s energy expenditure in different age groups, both male and female, and with differential levels of physical fitness. The main indexes used in this purpose have been the maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) or the peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak). However, several factors may influence such indexes, being either determinant or retraint of the motor performance, mostly in predominantly aerobic activities. Among such factors the emphasis is on growth and maturation processes, which can explain many of the differences found in the behavior of different individuals submitted to similar physical efforts, providing thus a more consistent analysis of the differences in the motor performance, particularly of young male and female

Aptidão física relacionada à saúde em escolares de Jequié, BA, Brasil Health-related physical fitness in students from Jequié, BA, Brazil

O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a aptidão física relacionada à saúde (AFRS) em escolares de Jequié, BA, Brasil. Para tanto, a AFRS de 182 meninos e 160 meninas (sete a 12 anos), escolares da rede pública de ensino, foi avaliada mediante a aplicação dos testes motores corrida/caminhada de nove minutos (indicador de resistência cardiorrespiratória), abdominal modificado em um minuto (indicador de força e resistência abdominal), sentar-e-alcançar (indicador de flexibilidade). O somatório das espessuras das dobras cutâneas tricipital e subescapular foi utilizado como indicador de gordura corporal. Os resultados encontrados indicaram maior prevalência de meninos e meninas abaixo (19% e 49%, respectivamente) do que acima (3% e 1%, respectivamente) dos critérios estabelecidos pela AAHPERD (1988) para indicadores de gordura corporal. Por outro lado, somente 51% dos meninos e 58% das meninas no sentar-e-alcançar; 11% e 7%, respectivamente, no abdominal modificado em um minuto, e 15% e 14%, respectivamente, na corrida/caminhada de nove minutos alcançaram os critérios estabelecidos. Portanto, os resultados sugerem que programas efetivos de intervenção parecem necessários para a promoção de mudanças no estado nutricional e na atividade física habitual de escolares de Jequié.<br>The aim of this study was to analyze the health-related physical fitness (HRPF) in students from Jequié, BA, Brazil. Therefore, the HRPF of 182 boys and 160 girls aged 7-12 years, students from public schools, was assessed by the application of 9-minute-run/walk (indicator of cardiorespiratory capacity), modified in one minute abdominal (indicator of abdominal strength and endurance), sit-and-reach (indicator of flexibility) motor tests. The sum of the triciptal and subscapular skinfolds thickness was used as indicator of body fat. The results found indicated higher prevalence of boys and girls below (19% and 49%, respectively) than above (3% and 1%, respectively) the criteria established by the AAHPERD (1988) for indicators of body fat. Conversely, only 51% of the boys and 58% of the girls in the sit-and-reach; 11% and 7%, respectively, in the modified in one minute abdominal; and 15% and 14%, respectively, in the 9-minute-run/walk reached the established criteria. Thus, the results suggest that effective intervention programs seem necessary for the promotion of alterations in the nutritional status as well as habitual physical activity of students from Jequié