Health-related physical fitness of children and adolescents in Portugal

Objectives: To establish normative values for health-related physical fitness (HRPF) measures in Portuguese children and adolescents. Secondarily, to explore the relationship between the HRPF and physical activity. Methods: HRPF was assessed in 354 children (6-17 years old, 152 males), through body mass index (BMI), incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT), hand-held dynamometry (HHD), modified sit-and-reach test (MSRT) and timed up and go (TUG). Physical activity was assessed with the "Assessment of Physical Activity Level Questionnaire" (APALQ). Normative values were then calculated as mean (95% confidence intervals) considering gender and four age groups (6-8; 9-11; 12-14; 15-17). Two-way ANOVAs were used to verify the effect of age, gender and age*gender interaction and Pearson's coefficient correlations to assess relationships between HRPF and physical activity. Results: Except for the MSRT (p = 0.036), no age*gender interaction effects were observed. The ISWT and TUG test presented a significant difference among age groups (p < 0.05). Male children presented a better performance in the ISWT (p < 0.001) and HHD (p = 0.028) than females. Children had moderate physical activity levels except for the 6-8 age group, and there was a weak but significant association between HRPF tests and physical activity (-0.243 < r < 0.312, p < 0.05) except for MSRT (r = 0.109, p > 0.05). Conclusions: These normative values will allow physical therapists to identify children with reduced performance and prescribe exercise accordingly. Active lifestyles should be encouraged in this population as better physical activity levels are related to better HRFP.