RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Physical fitness levels among European adolescents: the HELENA study
JF British Journal of Sports Medicine
JO Br J Sports Med
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine
SP 20
OP 29
DO 10.1136/bjsm.2009.062679
VO 45
IS 1
A1 F B Ortega
A1 E G Artero
A1 J R Ruiz
A1 V España-Romero
A1 D Jiménez-Pavón
A1 G Vicente-Rodriguez
A1 L A Moreno
A1 Y Manios
A1 L Béghin
A1 C Ottevaere
A1 D Ciarapica
A1 K Sarri
A1 S Dietrich
A1 S N Blair
A1 M Kersting
A1 D Molnar
A1 M González-Gross
A1 Á Gutiérrez
A1 M Sjöström
A1 M J Castillo
A1 on behalf of the HELENA study
YR 2011
UL http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/45/1/20.abstract
AB Objective To report sex- and age-specific physical fitness levels in European adolescents. Methods A sample of 3428 adolescents (1845 girls) aged 12.5–17.49 years from 10 European cities in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece (an inland city and an island city), Hungary, Italy, Spain and Sweden was assessed in the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence study between 2006 and 2008. The authors assessed muscular fitness, speed/agility, flexibility and cardiorespiratory fitness using nine different fitness tests: handgrip, bent arm hang, standing long jump, Bosco jumps (squat jump, counter movement jump and Abalakov jump), 4×10-m shuttle run, back-saver sit and reach and 20-m shuttle run tests. Results The authors derived sex- and age-specific normative values for physical fitness in the European adolescents using the LMS statistical method and expressed as tabulated percentiles from 10 to 100 and as smoothed centile curves (P5, P25, P50, P75 and P95). The figures showed greater physical fitness in the boys, except for the flexibility test, and a trend towards increased physical fitness in the boys as their age increased, whereas the fitness levels in the girls were more stable across ages. Conclusions The normative values hereby provided will enable evaluation and correct interpretation of European adolescents' fitness status.