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. 2022 Jun 16;19(12):7412.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph19127412.

Influence of Sport Practice and Body Weight on Physical Fitness in Schoolchildren Living in the Campania Region

Annamaria Mancini  1   2 , Domenico Martone  1   2 , Daniela Vitucci  1   2 , Adriano Capobianco  1 , Andreina Alfieri  1   2 , Pasqualina Buono  1   2 , Stefania Orrù  1   2
Affiliations

Influence of Sport Practice and Body Weight on Physical Fitness in Schoolchildren Living in the Campania Region

Annamaria Mancini et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Physical fitness (PF) levels correlate with health hallmarks at all ages. In this study, w aimed to determine the PF level of schoolchildren from the Campania Region (Italy) through health-related PF (HRPF) components, taking into account body weight and sport practice (SP). Methods: PF level was determined in 565 schoolchildren aged 10−13 (11.7 ± 1.0 yrs; m: 353, f: 212) using some of the Eurofit battery tests. Results: 77% children practiced sport, boys more than girls (86% vs. 63%, respectively; p < 0.05). Boys performed better than girls (p < 0.05) in the Plate Tapping, Standing Broad Jump, Bent-Arm Hang, and 10 × 5 m Shuttle Run tests; girls performed better in the Sit-and-Reach Test (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Overweight/obese status negatively affects the muscular strength of lower limbs, even if it progressively improves during growth. SP was revealed to be a determinant in performance only in some PF tests, likely due to the heterogeneous training level among boys and girls who practice sport.

Keywords: Eurofit battery tests; health-related physical fitness; overweight/obesity; physical activity; sport practice.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparison of 50th-percentile values of HRPF components evaluated in this study with the average score by gender and age obtained from more than 90 European studies [34].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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