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Objective: To evaluate secular changes in the heights and weights of rural school youth in west-central Poland across decennial surveys of the same communities spanning 1986 and 2016., Methods: Heights and weights of school youth 7 to 15 years in 10 rural communities in the vicinity of the city of Poznań were measured in 1986 (1417 boys, 1326 girls), 1996 (979 boys, 947 girls), 2006 (871 boys, 843 girls), and 2016 (1189 boys, 1105 girls). Descriptive statistics for sex-specific single year chronological age groups were calculated by survey, while the sample was partitioned into three age groups (7-9, 10-12, 13-15 years) for detailed analysis of changes across surveys using sex-specific ANCOVA with age and age 2 as covariates. Pairwise post hoc comparisons between specific surveys, adjusted for multiple comparisons (Bonferroni), were evaluated., Results: Heights and weights of rural school youth increased significantly between 1986 and 2016, but estimated secular gains between adjacent surveys were variable and not linear over time., Conclusion: Significant secular changes occurred in the heights and weights of rural school children in the 10 rural communities between 1986 and 2016, but estimated rates of change across sequential decennial surveys were variable. The results were generally consistent with corresponding studies of Polish youth., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Comparisons of physical fitness in normal weight and overweight/obese youth generally highlight the negative consequences of an elevated BMI. In contrast, several studies of children and adolescents highlight the importance of variation in indicators of physical fitness across the full spectrum of BMIs from low through high., Aim: The purpose of the study was to evaluate relationships between specific physical fitness items and the BMI among youth., Subjects and Methods: Height, weight and six physical fitness tests were measured in 1239 males and 903 females, aged 13-16 years; BMI (kg/m 2 ) was calculated. Fitness tests were compared by weight status using sex-specific MANCOVAs, controlling for age. Sex-specific quadratic regressions of each fitness item on the BMI were also calculated., Results: The sprint, standing long jump and shuttle run indicated better performances in normal than in thin and overweight/obese boys; the latter groups did not differ. Thin and normal weight boys performed better than overweight/obese boys in sit-ups and distance run. Among girls, sit-ups differed as follows: normal > thin > overweight/obese. Thin and normal weight girls performed better than overweight/obese girls in the jump, distance run and shuttle run. Normal weight girls were faster in the sprint than the overweight/obese. The quadratic regressions indicated significant non-linear relationships between the BMI and all fitness items among boys and in four items among girls., Conclusion: Performances on fitness tests varied with weight status. Relationships between performances and the BMI were curvilinear except for the distance run and flexibility in girls.