Physical fitness among 6th grade students and evaluation with the normative reference values

The objective of this study was to compare Estonian 6th grade students’ physical fitness level with normative values from ALPHA fitness test and international normative 20 m shuttle run values. The following healthrelated fitness components were assessed: cardiorespiratory fitness, flexibility, muscular strength, muscular endurance and speed, as a skillrelated fitness component. Physical fitness results were evaluated with the ALPHA health-related fitness test battery for children and adolescents and with normative 20 m shuttle run values. Students from 6th grade (n=178) participated in the study. Physical fitness performance was not signi ficantly different between boys and girls, except for flexibility and upper body muscle strength and endurance. Boys’ percentage in very low and low level was higher on every test compared to girls’ results based on normative values. The results of the research indicate the importance to measure the physical fitness of schoolchildren and to compare them with the evaluation scales to plan and carry out more PE lessons focusing on physical fitness development. Further research is needed to evaluate students’ physical fitness levels among different age groups. Physical fitness development is urgently needed and should be included in school curriculum

Eesti õpilaste liikumisaktiivsus koolipäeva jooksul

Taust ja eesmärgid. Aktiivne liikumine peaks kuuluma kõigi laste ja noorte igapäevaellu, kuna see toetab mitmekülgselt nende arengut ja heaolu. Uuringu eesmärk oli kirjeldada I ja II kooliastme õpilaste liikumisaktiivsuse (LA) taset ja kehaliselt mitteaktiivse aja (KMA) osakaalu koolipäeva eri osades.Metoodika. LA taseme selgitamiseks viidi detsembrist 2014 kuni maini 2015 läbi mõõtmised I ja II kooliastme õpilaste hulgas üle-eestilise juhuvalimi põhjal valitud 13 koolis. Õpilased (n = 636) kandsid aktseleromeetrit ja täitsid liikumispäevikut seitsmel järjestikusel päeval.Tulemused. I kooliastmes liikus LA soovituste kohaselt 29,3% ja II kooliastmes 17,5% (p = 0,003) õpilastest ning KMA moodustas kogu ärkveloleku ajast vastavalt 54,8% ja 62,7% (p < 0,001). Koolis viibitud ajast moodustas mõõdukas kuni tugev liikumisaktiivsus (MTLA) ligikaudu veerandi kogu päeva MTLAst (I kooliaste 23,6%; II kooliaste 28,5%). Kehalise kasvatuse tunnist 28,3% moodustas MTLA ning 29,5% oli KMA.Järeldused. Laste aktiivse liikumise osa koolipäeva jooksul moodustab olulise osa kogu päeva liikumisaktiivsusest, kuid siiski on õpilaste üldine LA tase madal. Seetõttu on vaja planeerida ja ellu viia tõenduspõhiseid sekkumisi, mis toetaks õpilaste liikumisaktiivsust ning vähendaks KMAd koolipäeva eri osades.Eesti Arst 2016; 95(11):716–72

Relationship between treatment delay and final infarct size in STEMI patients treated with abciximab and primary PCI

Background Studies on the impact of time to treatment on myocardial infarct size have yielded   conflicting results. In this study of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) treated   with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), we set out to investigate the   relationship between the time from First Medical Contact (FMC) to the demonstration   of an open infarct related artery (IRA) and final scar size. Between February 2006 and September 2007, 89 STEMI patients treated with primary PCI   were studied with contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (ceMRI) 4 to 8 weeks   after the infarction. Spearman correlation was computed for health care delay time   (defined as time from FMC to PCI) and myocardial injury. Multiple linear regression   was used to determine covariates independently associated with infarct size. Results An occluded artery (Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction, TIMI flow 0-1 at initial   angiogram) was seen in 56 patients (63%). The median FMC-to-patent artery was 89 minutes.   There was a weak correlation between time from FMC-to-patent IRA and infarct size,   r = 0.27, p = 0.01. In multiple regression analyses, LAD as the IRA, smoking and an occluded vessel   at the first angiogram, but not delay time, correlated with infarct size. Conclusions In patients with STEMI treated with primary PCI we found a weak correlation between   health care delay time and infarct size. Other factors like anterior infarction, a   patent artery pre-PCI and effects of reperfusion injury may have had greater influence   on infarct size than time-to-treatment per se

Feasibility and diagnostic power of transthoracic coronary Doppler for coronary flow velocity reserve in patients referred for myocardial perfusion imaging

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a validated method for detecting coronary artery disease. Transthoracic Doppler echocardiography (TTDE) of flow at rest and during adenosine provocation has previously been evaluated in selected patient groups. We therefore wanted to compare the diagnostic ability of TTDE in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) to that of MPI in an unselected population of patients with chest pain referred for MPI. Our hypothesis was that TTDE with high accuracy would identify healthy individuals and exclude them from the need for further studies, enabling invasive investigations to be reserved for patients with a high probability of disease.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Sixty-nine patients, 44 men and 25 women, age 61 ± 10 years (range 35–82), with a clinical suspicion of stress induced myocardial ischemia, were investigated. TTDE was performed at rest and during adenosine stress for myocardial scintigraphy.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found that coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) determined from diastolic measurements separated normal from abnormal MPI findings with statistical significance. TTDE identified coronary artery disease, defined from MPI, as reversible ischemia and/or permanent defect, with a sensitivity of 60% and a specificity of 79%. The positive predictive value was 43% and the negative predictive value was 88%. There was an overlap between groups which could be due to abnormal endothelial function in patients with normal myocardial perfusion having either hypertension or diabetes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>TTDE is an attractive non-invasive method to evaluate chest pain without the use of isotopes, but the diagnostic power is strongly dependent on the population investigated. Even in our heterogeneous clinical cardiac population, we found that CFVR>2 in the LAD excluded significant coronary artery disease detected by MPI.</p

European fitness landscape for children and adolescents: updated reference values, fitness maps and country rankings based on nearly 8 million test results from 34 countries gathered by the FitBack network

Objectives (1) To develop reference values for health-related fitness in European children and adolescents aged 6–18 years that are the foundation for the web-based, open-access and multilanguage fitness platform (FitBack); (2) to provide comparisons across European countries. Methods This study builds on a previous large fitness reference study in European youth by (1) widening the age demographic, (2) identifying the most recent and representative country-level data and (3) including national data from existing fitness surveillance and monitoring systems. We used the Assessing Levels of PHysical Activity and fitness at population level (ALPHA) test battery as it comprises tests with the highest test–retest reliability, criterion/construct validity and health-related predictive validity: the 20 m shuttle run (cardiorespiratory fitness); handgrip strength and standing long jump (muscular strength); and body height, body mass, body mass index and waist circumference (anthropometry). Percentile values were obtained using the generalised additive models for location, scale and shape method. Results A total of 7 966 693 test results from 34 countries (106 datasets) were used to develop sex-specific and age-specific percentile values. In addition, country-level rankings based on mean percentiles are provided for each fitness test, as well as an overall fitness ranking. Finally, an interactive fitness platform, including individual and group reporting and European fitness maps, is provided and freely available online (www.fitbackeurope.eu). Conclusion This study discusses the major implications of fitness assessment in youth from health, educational and sport perspectives, and how the FitBack reference values and interactive web-based platform contribute to it. Fitness testing can be conducted in school and/or sport settings, and the interpreted results be integrated in the healthcare systems across Europe

European fitness landscape for children and adolescents: updated reference values, fitness maps and country rankings based on nearly 8 million test results from 34 countries gathered by the FitBack network

Objectives (1) To develop reference values for health-related fitness in European children and adolescents aged 6–18 years that are the foundation for the web-based, open-access and multilanguage fitness platform (FitBack); (2) to provide comparisons across European countries. Methods This study builds on a previous large fitness reference study in European youth by (1) widening the age demographic, (2) identifying the most recent and representative country-level data and (3) including national data from existing fitness surveillance and monitoring systems. We used the Assessing Levels of Physical Activity and fitness at population level (ALPHA) test battery as it comprises tests with the highest test–retest reliability, criterion/construct validity and health-related predictive validity: the 20 m shuttle run (cardiorespiratory fitness); handgrip strength and standing long jump (muscular strength); and body height, body mass, body mass index and waist circumference (anthropometry). Percentile values were obtained using the generalised additive models for location, scale and shape method. Results A total of 7 966 693 test results from 34 countries (106 datasets) were used to develop sex-specific and age-specific percentile values. In addition, country-level rankings based on mean percentiles are provided for each fitness test, as well as an overall fitness ranking. Finally, an interactive fitness platform, including individual and group reporting and European fitness maps, is provided and freely available online (www.fitbackeurope.eu)