Resumen de Temporal trends in physical fitness and obesity among Brazilian children and adolescents between 2008 and 2014
Anelise Reis Gaya, Júlio Brugnara Mello, Arieli Fernandes Dias, Caroline Brand, Vinicius Denardin-Cardoso, Gabriel Alberto Kunst Nagorny, Jorge Mota, Antonio García Hermoso, Adroaldo Cezar Araujo Gaya
The research aim to assess the trend of the health-related physical fitness over a period comprising 2008-2014, in two cohorts of a voluntary Brazilian school aged children and adolescents. Data was obtained from the database of Project Sport Brazil. The sample comprised children and adolescents aged between 10-17 years, assessed in two cohorts: 2008-2009 (6,281) and 2013-2014 (4,052) from different Brazilian regions. Measurement of the health-related physical fitness included: sit-up abdominal test, sit and reach, nine-minute of running/walking test, and body mass index. Descriptive data analyses and Poisson Logistic Regression were used. Prevalence trends of unhealthy flexibility increased significantly for boys from 35.2% to 38.4% and girls 23.5% to 38.0%, while prevalence on unhealthy abdominal strength/resistance decreased significantly for boys from 35.9% to 30.0%, and did not show differences over time for girls. Overweight/obesity increased significantly over time in boys from 18.9% to 23.7%, as well as in girls from 19.4% to 28.0%. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) showed the highest variation over time with a significantly increase of the unhealthy zone for both, boys from 33.4% to 61.3% and girls 33.3% to 66.6%. Therefore, we emphasize the importance of implementation national campaigns and interventions promoting physical activity in order to improve health.
