A Review of the Promotion of Fitness Measures and Health Outcomes in Youth

Overview

Journal Am J Lifestyle Med

Publisher Sage Publications

Date 2018 Sep 12

PMID 30202338

Citations 13

Authors

Dave Stodden

Ryan Sacko

Danielle Nesbitt

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The relationship between physical fitness and health in adults is well established, yet until recently, empirical support for the impact of physical fitness levels on health markers in children has not been thoroughly documented. The aim of this review was to provide a summary of current literature that has examined the linkage between measures of health-related physical fitness (ie, cardiorespiratory fitness, musculoskeletal fitness, flexibility, and body composition) and health markers in youth. Specifically, this review focused on the findings from the recent 2012 Institutes of Medicine report on Fitness Measures in Youth as well as other subsequent review articles related to the topic. In addition, recommendations for health-related fitness assessments in youth populations are presented.

Citing Articles

Optimization of school physical education schedules to enhance long-term public health outcomes.

Tao S, Sheng-Ping Z, Meng-Yuan W Front Public Health. 2025; 13:1548056.

PMID: 40046114 PMC: 11879960. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1548056.

Association between daily movement behaviors and optimal physical fitness of university students: a compositional data analysis.

Li J, Lin Z, Zou M, Feng X, Liu Y BMC Public Health. 2025; 25(1):877.

PMID: 40045271 PMC: 11884011. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-025-22151-2.

Body composition, cardiovascular fitness and attention of school-aged male children practicing sports club activities: A cross-sectional.

Ates B, Tanir H, Akinci Y J Educ Health Promot. 2024; 13:262.

PMID: 39309986 PMC: 11414861. DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_1459_23.

Effects of a staff-led multicomponent physical activity intervention on preschooler's fundamental motor skills and physical fitness: The ACTNOW cluster-randomized controlled trial.

Straume Haugland E, Nilsen A, Buene Vabo K, Pesce C, Bartholomew J, Okely A Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2024; 21(1):69.

PMID: 38961489 PMC: 11223439. DOI: 10.1186/s12966-024-01616-4.

Effects of a physical education intervention on children's physical activity and fitness: the PROFIT pilot study.

Reis L, Reuter C, Burns R, Martins C, Mota J, Gaya A BMC Pediatr. 2024; 24(1):78.

PMID: 38267928 PMC: 10807217. DOI: 10.1186/s12887-024-04544-1.

References

Naylor L, Watts K, Sharpe J, Jones T, Davis E, Thompson A . Resistance training and diastolic myocardial tissue velocities in obese children. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008; 40(12):2027-32. DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e318182a9e0. View

Eisenmann J, Wickel E, Welk G, Blair S . Relationship between adolescent fitness and fatness and cardiovascular disease risk factors in adulthood: the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study (ACLS). Am Heart J. 2005; 149(1):46-53. DOI: 10.1016/j.ahj.2004.07.016. View

Carnethon M, Gulati M, Greenland P . Prevalence and cardiovascular disease correlates of low cardiorespiratory fitness in adolescents and adults. JAMA. 2006; 294(23):2981-8. DOI: 10.1001/jama.294.23.2981. View

Chang C, Liu W, Zhao X, Li S, Yu C . Effect of supervised exercise intervention on metabolic risk factors and physical fitness in Chinese obese children in early puberty. Obes Rev. 2008; 9 Suppl 1:135-41. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2007.00455.x. View

Rodrigues L, Leitao R, Lopes V . Physical fitness predicts adiposity longitudinal changes over childhood and adolescence. J Sci Med Sport. 2012; 16(2):118-23. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2012.06.008. View

Taylor R, Jones I, Williams S, Goulding A . Evaluation of waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and the conicity index as screening tools for high trunk fat mass, as measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, in children aged 3-19 y. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000; 72(2):490-5. DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/72.2.490. View

Blair S, Kohl 3rd H, Barlow C, Paffenbarger Jr R, Gibbons L, Macera C . Changes in physical fitness and all-cause mortality. A prospective study of healthy and unhealthy men. JAMA. 1995; 273(14):1093-8. View

Ortega F, Artero E, Ruiz J, Vicente-Rodriguez G, Bergman P, Hagstromer M . Reliability of health-related physical fitness tests in European adolescents. The HELENA Study. Int J Obes (Lond). 2008; 32 Suppl 5:S49-57. DOI: 10.1038/ijo.2008.183. View

Freedman D, Sherry B . The validity of BMI as an indicator of body fatness and risk among children. Pediatrics. 2009; 124 Suppl 1:S23-34. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2008-3586E. View

10.

Mota J, Ribeiro J, Carvalho J, Santos M, Martins J . Cardiorespiratory fitness status and body mass index change over time: a 2-year longitudinal study in elementary school children. Int J Pediatr Obes. 2009; 4(4):338-42. DOI: 10.3109/17477160902763317. View

11.

Benefice E, Fouere T, Malina R . Early nutritional history and motor performance of Senegalese children, 4-6 years of age. Ann Hum Biol. 1999; 26(5):443-55. DOI: 10.1080/030144699282561. View

12.

Sidiropoulou M, Fotiadou E, Tsimaras V, Zakas A, Angelopoulou N . The effect of interval training in children with exercise-induced asthma competing in soccer. J Strength Cond Res. 2007; 21(2):446-50. DOI: 10.1519/R-17825.1. View

13.

Erbaugh S . Reliability of physical fitness tests administered to young children. Percept Mot Skills. 1990; 71(3 Pt 2):1123-8. DOI: 10.2466/pms.1990.71.3f.1123. View

14.

Nourry C, Deruelle F, Guinhouya C, Baquet G, Fabre C, Bart F . High-intensity intermittent running training improves pulmonary function and alters exercise breathing pattern in children. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2005; 94(4):415-23. DOI: 10.1007/s00421-005-1341-4. View

15.

Goran M, Allison D, Poehlman E . Issues relating to normalization of body fat content in men and women. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1995; 19(9):638-43. View

16.

Dietz W, Bellizzi M . Introduction: the use of body mass index to assess obesity in children. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999; 70(1):123S-5S. DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/70.1.123s. View

17.

Blum W, Englaro P, Hanitsch S, Juul A, Hertel N, Muller J . Plasma leptin levels in healthy children and adolescents: dependence on body mass index, body fat mass, gender, pubertal stage, and testosterone. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1997; 82(9):2904-10. DOI: 10.1210/jcem.82.9.4251. View

18.

Ahlqwist A, Hagman M, Kjellby-Wendt G, Beckung E . Physical therapy treatment of back complaints on children and adolescents. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2008; 33(20):E721-7. DOI: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e318182c347. View

19.

Strutzenberger G, Richter A, Schneider M, Mundermann A, Schwameder H . Effects of obesity on the biomechanics of stair-walking in children. Gait Posture. 2011; 34(1):119-25. DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2011.03.025. View

20.

Myer G, Faigenbaum A, Ford K, Best T, Bergeron M, Hewett T . When to initiate integrative neuromuscular training to reduce sports-related injuries and enhance health in youth?. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2011; 10(3):155-66. PMC: 3105332. DOI: 10.1249/JSR.0b013e31821b1442. View