The Association between Health-Related Fitness and Physical Activity during Weekdays: Do Fit Students Exercise More after School?

Relationship between Specific Field-Based Physical Fitness Test Results and Selected Health Biomarkers in College-Aged Males: A Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to verify the association between specific field-based physical fitness test results and selected health biomarkers in college-aged males.

METHOD

A total of 390 males participated in this research. The association between fitness test scores and anthropometric and health variables were examined. The fitness tests conducted were: Sit-and-reach test (S&R), standing long jump test (SLJ), Shuttle run test (SHR), and 20 m Multistage Fitness Test (BT) to estimate the maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max). The anthropometric and health variables assessed were: Weight (WE), height (HE), body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (FAT), lean body mass (LBM), abdominal Girth (AG), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), oxygen saturation (SPO2), average blood pressure (A-BP), double product (DP), and fasting blood glucose (GLU).

RESULTS

S&R presented a weak significant correlation with SLJ, VO2max, and AG. SLJ maintained weak to moderate significant correlations with S&R, SHR, VO2max, HE, WE, LBM, WHR, BMI, FAT, AG, SBP, DBP, A-BP, DP, and GLU. SHR presented weak to moderate significant correlations with SLJ, VO2max, WE, BMI, AG, FAT, HE, SBP, DP, and GLU. VO2max maintained weak to moderate correlations with S&R, SLJ, SHR, WE, BMI, FAT, LBM, AG, and DP. Weak to moderate correlations were found between anthropometric and health variables, whereas the anthropometric variables presented significant correlations with each other, ranging from weak to very strong. Fitness test results presented weak to moderate correlations among themselves.

CONCLUSION

SLJ and SHR present weak to moderate validity to predict the selected anthropometric markers and weak to predict the selected health indicators except for SPO2. VO2max has only weak validity to predict the selected anthropometric markers, whereas S&R is not valid to predict the selected health or anthropometric markers. Anthropometric measurements have weak validity in predicting the selected health markers. BMI and AG are valid, simple, and economical measurements to assess body fat. A positive interaction between the results obtained in the field-based fitness tests conducted was observed.

Prospective Analysis of Levels and Correlates of Physical Activity during COVID-19 Pandemic and Imposed Rules of Social Distancing; Gender Specific Study among Adolescents from Southern Croatia

Background: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, global authorities have imposed rules of social distancing that directly influence overall physical activity in populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the trends of changes in physical-activity levels (PALs) in adolescents and factors that may be associated with PALs among the studied boys and girls. Methods: Participants in this prospective study comprised 388 adolescents (126 females; mean age: 16.4 ± 1.9 years) from southern Croatia who were tested at a baseline (before the imposed rules of social distancing) and at a follow-up measurement (three weeks after the initiation). Baseline testing included anthropometric variables, variables of fitness status (done at the beginning of the school year), and PALs. At the follow-up, participants were tested on PALs. PALs were evaluated over an online platform using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents. Results: A significant decrease of PALs was evidenced for the total sample (t-test = 3.46, p < 0.001), which was primarily influenced by a significant decrease of PALs in boys (t-test = 5.15, p < 0.001). The fitness status (jumping capacity, abdominal strength, aerobic endurance, and anaerobic endurance) was systematically positively correlated with PALs at the baseline and follow-up among boys and girls, with the most evident association between aerobic and anaerobic endurance capacities and PALs. Correlations between anthropometric and fitness variables with changes in physical activity (e.g., the difference between baseline and follow-up PALs) were negligible. Conclusions: Differences in PAL changes between genders were probably related to the fact that PALs among boys were mostly related to participation in organized sports. Correlations between baseline fitness status and PALs indicated the importance of overall physical literacy in preserving PALs in challenging circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic observed here.

Playing games can improve physical performance in children with autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by deficits in social communication, interaction, and stereotypical behaviours. Children with ASD have not enough opportunities to participate in physical activity (PA), which lead to increase fitness and health problem. The aim of this study was to compare two programs on motor skills. In the current investigation, 30 high functioning autistic children were diagnosed by a psychiatrist and randomly divided into control and experimental groups. The evaluation tools included the Brininx-Oresetsky Test (BOT) and a program named "I can have physical literacy" (ICPL) and Sport, Play, and Active Recreation for Kids (SPARK). The experimental intervention groups received sixteen sessions of 60 min, while the control group did not receive any treatment. Analysis of covariance was used to determine the difference between the groups. Post-hoc test was used to compare pairs of groups. Results showed that the experimental ICPL and Spark groups had increased motor skills (MS). There were significant differences between groups on gross motor skills. There were significant differences between the control and experimental ICPL groups, and between the experimental Spark and experimental ICPL groups. Both of these programs increased MS. ICPL program that address the characteristics of children with ASD, have a positive effect on their MS.