Health-related physical fitness and weight status in Hong Kong adolescents

Health-related physical fitness and weight status in Hong Kong adolescents

• Mak, Kwok Kei School of Public Health, University of Hong Kong
• Ho, Sai Yin School of Public Health, University of Hong Kong
• Lo, Wing Sze School of Public Health, University of Hong Kong
• Thomas, G. Neil Dept of Public Health and Epidemiology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
• McManus, Alison M. Institute of Human Performance, University of Hong Kong
• Day, Jeffrey R. Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong
• Lam, Tai Hing School of Public Health, University of Hong Kong

BMC Public Health, 10, 88-92, 2010

BioMed Central

2010

• A Human Growth & Development
  • AA Physical & Psychomotor Development
• N Students & Student Services
  • NE Student Health, Death & Suicide, Student Health Service

Physical Fitness Body Weight Teenagers China

• Hong Kong

• 1997.7 onwards

• Secondary Education

Background: This study was designed to investigate the relation between health-related physical fitness and weight status in Hong Kong adolescents. Methods: 3,204 students aged 12-18 years participated in the Hong Kong Student Obesity Surveillance (HKSOS) project in 2006-2007. Anthropometric measures (height, weight) and health-related fitness (push-up, sit-up, sit-andreach, 9-minute run) were assessed. Body mass index (BMI) was computed to classify participants into normal weight, underweight (Grade I, II/III), overweight, and obese groups. The associations of health-related physical fitness with BMI and weight status were examined by partial correlation coefficients and analysis of covariance, respectively. Results: More boys than girls were overweight or obese (18.0% vs 8.7%), but more girls than boys were underweight (22.3% vs 16.7%). Boys performed significantly (P < 0.001) better in sit-up (38.8 vs 31.6 times/min) and 9-minute run (1632.1 vs 1353.2 m), but poorer in sit-and-reach (27.4 vs 32.2 cm) than girls. All four physical fitness tests were significantly positively correlated with each other in both sexes, and BMI was only weakly correlated with sit up and sit-and-reach tests in boys. Decreasing performance (P for trend < 0.05) was observed from normal weight to overweight and obese for push-up, sit-up, and 9-minute run in both sexes. From normal weight to Grade I and Grade II/III underweight, decreasing performance (P for trend < 0.05) for sit-up and sit-and-reach in both sexes and for push-up in boys was observed. Conclusions: The relations between BMI and health-related physical fitness in adolescents were non-linear. Overweight/obese and underweight adolescents had poorer performance in push-up and sit-up tests than normal weight adolescents. Different aspects of health-related physical fitness may serve as immediate indicators of potential health risks for underweight and overweight adolescents.
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• English

Journal Articles

• 14712458

https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/bibs/f4e23a4b

2011-01-20