Physical fitness reference standards for preschool children: The PREFIT project |
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| Authors: | Cristina Cadenas-Sanchez Timm Intemann Idoia Labayen Ana B. Peinado Josep Vidal-Conti Joaquin Sanchis-Moysi Diego Moliner-Urdiales Manuel A. Rodriguez Perez Jorge Cañete Garcia-Prieto Jorge del Rosario Fernández-Santos Borja Martinez-Tellez Germán Vicente-Rodríguez Marie Löf Jonatan R. Ruiz Francisco B. Ortega |
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| Affiliation: | 1. PROFITH “PROmoting FITness and Health through physical activity” Research Group, Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Spain;2. Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology – BIPS, Germany. Institute of Statistics, Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Bremen, Germany;3. Department of Health Sciences, Institute for Innovation & Sustainable Development in Food Chain (IS-FOOD), Public University of Navarra, Spain;4. LFE Research Group, Department of Health and Human Performance, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain;5. Department of Education, University of the Balearic Islands, Spain;6. Department of Physical Education and Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain;7. LIFE reserach group, University Jaume I, Spain;8. SPORT Research Group (CTS-1024), Area of Physical Education and Sport, University of Almeria, Spain;9. Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Health and Social Research Center, Spain;10. Department of Physical Education, School of Education, University of Cádiz, Spain;11. GENUD “Growth, Exercise, NUtrition and Development” Research Group, Faculty of Health and Sport Science (FCSD). Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón (IA2). CIBERObn. University of Zaragoza, Spain;12. Department of Biosciences and Nutrition at NOVUM, Karolinska Institutet. Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Sweden |
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| Abstract: | ObjectivesReference values are necessary for classifying children, for health screening, and for early prevention as many non-communicable diseases aggravate during growth and development. While physical fitness reference standards are available in children aged 6 and older, such information is lacking in preschool children. Therefore, the purposes of this study were (1) to provide sex-and age-specific physical fitness reference standards for Spanish preschool children; and (2) to study sex differences across this age period and to characterise fitness performance throughout the preschool period.DesignCross-sectional.MethodsA total of 3179 preschool children (1678 boys) aged 2.8–6.4 years old from Spain were included in the present study. Physical fitness was measured using the PREFIT battery.ResultsAge- and sex-specific percentiles for the physical fitness components are provided. Boys performed better than girls in the cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, and speed-agility tests over the whole preschool period studied and for the different percentiles. In contrast, girls performed slightly better than boys in the balance test. Older children had better performance in all fitness tests than their younger counterparts.ConclusionsOur study provides age- and sex-specific physical fitness reference standards in preschool children allowing interpretation of fitness assessment. Sexual dimorphism in fitness tests exists already at preschool age, and these differences become larger with age. These findings will help health, sport, and school professionals to identify preschool children with a high/very low fitness level, to examine changes in fitness over time, and to analyse those changes obtained due to intervention effects. |
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| Keywords: | Cardiorespiratory fitness Muscular strength Motor skills Reference values |
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