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We aimed (1) to report age-specific physical fitness levels in people with fibromyalgia of a representative sample from Andalusia; and (2) to compare the fitness levels of people with fibromyalgia with non-fibromyalgia controls. This cross-sectional study included 468 (21 men) patients with fibromyalgia and 360 (55 men) controls. The fibromyalgia sample was geographically representative from southern Spain. Physical fitness was assessed with the Senior Fitness Test battery plus the handgrip test. We applied the Generalized Additive Model for Location, Scale and Shape to calculate percentile curves for women and fitted mean curves using a linear regression for men. Our results show that people with fibromyalgia reached worse performance in all fitness tests than controls ( P < 0.001) in all age ranges ( P < 0.001). This study provides a comprehensive description of age-specific physical fitness levels among patients with fibromyalgia and controls in a large sample of patients with fibromyalgia from southern of Spain. Physical fitness levels of people with fibromyalgia from Andalusia are very low in comparison with age-matched healthy controls. This information could be useful to correctly interpret physical fitness assessments and helping health care providers to identify individuals at risk for losing physical independence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: North–south differences in the prevalence of obesity and fitness levels have been found in European adolescents, yet it is unknown if such differences already exist in very young children. Objectives: This study aims to compare the prevalence of overweight/obesity and fitness levels in preschool children aged 4 years from Sweden (north of Europe) and Spain (south of Europe). Methods: The sample consisted of 315 Swedish and 128 Spanish preschoolers. Anthropometry (weight, height, waist circumference) and fitness (strength, speed–agility, balance and cardiorespiratory fitness) were assessed. Analysis of covariance adjusted for age, sex and height/body mass index (BMI) was used. Results: Preschool children from Sweden had lower prevalence of overweight/obesity than their peers from Spain (World Obesity Federation, mean difference, MD = −9%, P = 0.010; World Health Organization, MD = −11%, P = 0.011). Concerning fitness, preschoolers from Spain were more fit in terms of upper‐muscular strength (MD = +0.4 kg, P = 0.010), speed–agility (MD = −1.9 s, P = 0.001), balance (MD = +4.0 s, P = 0.001) and cardiorespiratory fitness (MD = boys = +6.6 laps, girls = +2.3 laps; P < 0.001 for all), yet they had worse lower‐muscular strength (MD = −7.1, P ≤ 0.001) than those from Sweden. Differences in upper‐muscular strength were largely explained by differences in BMI, and differences in cardiorespiratory fitness should be interpreted cautiously due to some methodological deviations. Conclusions: These findings suggest that a higher prevalence of overweight/obesity in Spain compared with Sweden is present already at early childhood, while differences in physical fitness components showed mixed findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to examine (a) the construct validity and reliability of the International Fitness Scale ( IFIS) in children; and (b) the association of both self-reported and measured fitness with cardiometabolic risk. Cross-sectional study in 1145 Spanish children (9-12 years). We measured body fat, waist circumference, blood pressure, lipids, insulin, and fitness level (reported and measured). A validated cardiometabolic syndrome index was used. An age- and sex-matched sample of 245 children originally not included in the study sample fulfilled IFIS twice for reliability purposes. IFIS was able to correctly classify children according to their measured fitness levels (analysis of covariance, adjusted for sex and age was used). Test-retest reliability of IFIS items was also good, i.e., average weighted Kappa = 0.70. Our data also suggest that both measured and reported cardiorespiratory, and speed and agility fitness were associated with cardiometabolic risk factors, such as adiposity and a cardiometabolic syndrome risk score. The associations for muscular fitness (both reported and measured) differed depending on how it was expressed (i.e., absolute vs relative terms). Our findings suggest that self-reported fitness, as assessed by IFIS, is a valid, reliable, and health-related measure, and it can be a good alternative at population level when physical fitness cannot be measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze the effects of an intervention focused on increasing the time and intensity of Physical Education ( PE), on adolescents' cognitive performance and academic achievement. A 4-month group-randomized controlled trial was conducted in 67 adolescents from South- East Spain, 2007. Three classes were randomly allocated into control group ( CG), experimental group 1 ( EG1) and experimental group 2 ( EG2). CG received usual PE (two sessions/week), EG1 received four PE sessions/week and EG2 received four PE sessions/week of high intensity. Cognitive performance (non-verbal and verbal ability, abstract reasoning, spatial ability, verbal reasoning and numerical ability) was assessed by the Spanish Overall and Factorial Intelligence Test, and academic achievement by school grades. All the cognitive performance variables, except verbal reasoning, increased more in EG2 than in CG (all P < 0.05). Average school grades (e.g., mathematics) increased more in EG2 than in CG. Overall, EG2 improved more than EG1, without differences between EG1 and CG. Increased PE can benefit cognitive performance and academic achievement. This study contributes to the current knowledge by suggesting that the intensity of PE sessions might play a role in the positive effect of physical activity on cognition and academic success. Future studies involving larger sample sizes should confirm or contrast these preliminary findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is already known about this subject Eating disorders are among the public health issues facing adolescents., An excess of body fat has been associated with an increased risk of these disorders., The association of physical fitness with eating disorders has not yet been analysed in adolescents., What this study adds This study confirms that the overweight and obesity increase the risk of developing eating disorders., The present study shows that there is an inverse association between physical fitness levels and the risk of eating disorders., This study suggests that physical fitness might attenuate the influence of overweight on the development of eating disorders in adolescents., Background Eating disorders together with the overweight and obesity are important health concerns in adolescents. Objective To analyse the individual and combined influence of overweight and physical fitness on the risk of developing eating disorders in Spanish adolescents. Methods The sample consisted of 3571 adolescents (1864 females), aged 13 to 18.5 years, from Spain who participated in the AVENA and AFINOS studies. The risk of eating disorders was evaluated using the SCOFF questionnaire. Body mass index was calculated and the adolescents were classified into two groups: overweight (including obesity) and non-overweight according to Cole's cut-off points. Cardiorespiratory fitness in the AVENA Study was assessed by the 20-m shuttle-run test and the overall physical fitness level was self-reported in the AFINOS Study. Results Overweight adolescents had a higher risk of developing eating disorders than non-overweight adolescents (odds ratio [ OR] = 4.91, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 3.63-6.61 in the AVENA Study and OR = 2.45, 95% CI: 1.83-3.22 in the AFINOS Study). Also, adolescents with medium and low levels of physical fitness had a higher risk of developing eating disorders ( OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.05-2.16, and OR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.60-3.19, respectively, in the AVENA Study, and OR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.37-2.17, and OR = 4.11 95% CI: 2.98-5.65, respectively, in the AFINOS Study) than adolescents with high levels of physical fitness. In both studies, the combined influence of overweight and physical fitness showed that adolescents with lower levels of physical fitness had an increased risk of developing eating disorders in both non-overweight and overweight groups. Conclusions Physical fitness might attenuate the influence of overweight on the development of eating disorders in adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A group-randomized controlled trial was carried out to investigate the effects of a postural education program on daily life habits related to low back pain in children. The study sample included 137 children aged 10.7 years. 6 classes from 2 primary schools were randomly allocated into an experimental group (EG) (N = 63) or a control group (CG) (N = 74). The EG received a postural education program over 6 weeks consisting of 6 sessions, while the CG followed the usual school curriculum. A questionnaire was completed by the participants at pretest, posttest and 3 months after the intervention finished. The outcomes collected were: correct use of sofa, stooping correctly, take care to sit correctly at home/school and frequent posture change on chair at home/school. A sum score was computed from the 6 items. To examine the effect of the intervention, we used repeated measures analysis of co-variance (ANCOVA); with baseline, post-test and follow-up outcome values as dependent variables, study group as fixed factor, and sex and age as covariates. Single healthy items mostly improved after the intervention and remained improved after 3 month follow-up in EG, while no substantial changes were observed in the CG. Healthy habits score was significantly increased at post-test compared to baseline in the EG (P < 0.001), and remained significantly increased after 3-months, compared to baseline (P < 0.001). No significant changes were observed in the CG (P > 0.6). The results suggest that children are able to learn healthy daily life habits which might contribute to future prevention of low back pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the role of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) on the link between physical activity (PA) and abdominal fat content in adolescents. For the study, researchers measured abdominal fat content by waist circumference, waist-to-heigh ratio and dual energy X-ray absoptiometry (DXA) at 3 locations. They found that vigorous PA was inversely linked to waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio. They concluded that it is not clear whether CRF plays a role in the link between PA and abdominal fat in adolescents.

Objectives:To examine the association of objectively assessed physical activity (PA) with markers of total and central body fat in adolescents, and to determine whether meeting the current PA recommendations (60 min day−1 of at least moderate intensity PA) is associated with reduced levels of total and central body fat.Subjects/Methods:A total of 365 Spanish adolescents aged 12.5–17.5 years participated in this cross-sectional study. PA was assessed by accelerometry and expressed as average PA (counts per minute), and min day−1 of light, moderate, moderate to vigorous (MVPA) and vigorous PA. MVPA was dichotomized into <60 min day−1 and 60. Total body fat was measured by DXA, BodPod and the sum of six skinfolds. Central body fat was measured by DXA at three regions (R1, R2 and R3), and waist circumference.Results:All markers of central body fat were negatively associated with vigorous PA (P<0.01) after controlling for sex, age and pubertal status. Abdominal adiposity measured at R1, R2 and R3 was also negatively associated with MVPA (P0.001), and with average PA (P<0.01). All markers of total body fat were negatively associated with vigorous PA (P<0.01), MVPA (P<0.01) and average PA (P<0.05). Adolescents engaged on at least 60 min day−1 MVPA presented lower levels of total (P<0.05) and central body fat (P0.01).Conclusions:The results suggest that vigorous PA may have a greater effect on preventing obesity in adolescents than does PA of lower intensity, whereas both average PA and at least moderate PA may have an impact on total and central body fat in youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Good sleep contributes to health and performance. However, insufficient and poor sleep are very common among adolescents today. This study examines cross-national differences in adolescents' sleep and activity patterns across Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, and the UK, using an innovative 24-hour time-use approach with time-diary data (N = 25,248 diaries; mean age 15.4 years; 50.3% girls). Sleep duration ranges from 7:21 hours (South Korea) to 8:46 hours (South Africa, UK) on schooldays and from 9:13 hours (South Korea) to 10:33 hours (Netherlands) on non-schooldays. South Africa shows the earliest and Spain the latest sleep onsets and wake-up-times. Insufficient sleep duration (i.e. less than 8 hours) ranges from 19% (South Africa) to 69% (South Korea) on schooldays. Activity patterns before sleep (e.g. eating, screen time, studying) also differ strongly across countries. Our findings could support policy makers in developing effective strategies to improve adolescent sleep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical inactivity is recognized as a determinant of low physical fitness and body composition in preschool children, which in turn, are important markers of health through the lifespan. Objective methods to assess physical activity, physical fitness and body composition in preschool children are preferable; however, they have some practical limitations in the school context. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test whether a single question regarding physical activity level of preschool children, reported by their parents, could be used as an alternative screening tool of physical fitness and body composition. The information was obtained from 10 different cities throughout Spain, gathering a total of 3179 healthy preschool children (52.8% boys and 47.2% girls) aged 3–5 years. Physical activity levels of preschool children were reported by parents using a single question with five response options (very low, low, average, high, or very high). Physical fitness and body composition were assessed with the PREFIT fitness battery. The results showed that parents' perception of their children's physical activity was positively associated with all objectively measured physical fitness components (βrange = -0.094 to 0.113; all p < 0.020); and negatively with body composition indicators as measured (βrange = -0.113 to -0.058; all p < 0.001). The results showed significant differences in all physical fitness and body composition z -scores across the parent-reported physical activity levels (all p < 0.017 and all p < 0.001, respectively), as well as, for the fitness index (p < 0.001). Our study suggests that in school settings with insufficient resources to objectively assess fitness and body composition, parents-reported physical activity level by means of a single question might provide useful information about these important health markers in preschool children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to detect the functional and emotional impact of COVID‐19 lockdown on institutionalized older adults with sarcopenia during a 15‐month follow‐up. A prospective longitudinal cohort study was conducted in a nursing home. Participants were screened for sarcopenia, and those with a score of ≥4 points according to SARC‐F questionnaire were included. Assessments were performed pre‐lockdown (T1), 12 months (T2) after, and at a 15‐month follow‐up (T3). Functional measurements included chair stand test, handgrip, biceps brachii and quadriceps femoris strengths, appendicular skeletal mass, gait speed, Short Physical Performance Battery, and Timed Up‐and‐Go test. Emotional assessments included Short‐Form Health Survey, Geriatric Depression Scale—Short Form, and the Mini‐Mental State Examination. The analyzed sample showed a reduction in bicep strength, and other upper and lower limb strength variables showed a decreasing trend with no changes regarding muscle mass. Physical performance showed a change, specifically a deterioration in the subtest related to balance. Cognitive and emotional components were affected and quality of life was decreased. It is of paramount importance to focus on sarcopenic older adults since their characteristics can deteriorate when isolation measures are conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes rates of active commuting to school (ACS) among Spanish school students and examines differences in ACS between different and consecutive educational levels, educational stages and school grades, within the Spanish educational system. Data were obtained from 28 cross-sectional studies conducted across Spain in 2010-2017. The analytical sample comprised 42,074 participants; namely, 5,327 children aged 3-5.99 years old (48% girls), 18,329 children aged 6-11.99 years old (50% girls) and 18,438 adolescents aged 12-18 years old (49% girls). Compared to pre-primary education, those in primary education (Odss ratio (OR)= 1.29, p < 0.01), compulsory secondary education (OR= 1.36, p < 0.01) and upper secondary education (OR= 1.38, p < 0.01) had higher odds of ACS. Additionally, compared to primary education, those in compulsory secondary education had higher odds of ACS (OR= 1.05, p < 0.01). Adolescents attending 1° grade of compulsory secondary education had higher odds of ACS than their counterparts attending to 6° grade of primary education (OR= 1.16, p < 0.05); no other associations between consecutive school grades within and between educational stages were found (all, p > 0.05). This study suggests significant shifts in ACS over the transition from pre-primary education to primary education and from primary education to compulsory secondary education. Educational and policy strategies are important to continue promoting active travel behaviors to school since the first educational stage in youth people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine the impact of reallocating time spent in waking movement behaviours at baseline on indicators of psychological distress at 24-month follow-up using isotemporal substitution regression models among a sample of Spanish adolescents. The DADOS (Deporte, ADOlescencia y Salud) study is a 3-year longitudinal observational research project carried out between years 2015–2017. The analyses included 197 adolescents (91 girls) aged 13.9 ± 0.3 years at baseline. Waking movement behaviours were assessed by a wrist-worn GENEActiv triaxial accelerometer and expressed as minutes/day of light physical activity (LPA), moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and time spent in sedentary behaviour (SB). The Behaviour Assessment System for Children and Adolescents (level 3 for adolescents) was used to assess psychological distress indicators (i.e., anxiety, social stress, and risk of depression). Results showed significant associations only for girls. The substitution of 10 min/day of SB or LPA at baseline with 10 min/day of MVPA was associated with lower levels of anxiety (both p ≤ 0.01) and social stress (both p < 0.05) at follow-up. The substitution of 10 min/day of SB with 10 min/day of LPA was associated with higher levels of anxiety at follow-up (p = 0.01). These findings highlight the need of specific physical activity recommendations for mental health paying special attention to sex-differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Childhood obesity has become a major health problem in children under the age of 5 years. Providing reference standards would help paediatricians to detect and/or prevent health problems related to both low and high levels of body mass and to central adiposity later in life. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of different weight status categories and to provide sex- and age-specific anthropometry reference standards for Spanish preschool children., Methods: A total of 3178 preschool children (4.59±0.87 years old) participated in this study. Prevalence of different degrees of obesity (mild, severe, and morbid) and other weight status categories were determined., Results: Reference standards were obtained. Prevalence of overweight and obese preschool children in the Spanish population ranged from 21.4 to 34.8%. Specifically, the obesity prevalence was 3.5, 1.2, and 1.3% of these subjects were categorized as mild, severe, and morbid obese. Sex- and age-specific reference standards for anthropometric parameters are provided for every 0.25 years (i.e. every trimester of life)., Conclusion: Our results show a high prevalence of overweight/obese preschoolers. The provided sex- and age-specific anthropometric reference standards could help paediatricians to track and monitor anthropometric changes at this early stage in order to prevent overweight/obesity.

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Sport & Health Research is the property of Journal of Sport & Health Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of two different physical education intervention programmes on cognitive functions (i.e. creativity, attention and impulse control) in primary education students. These dimensions were measured in 168 children (8–12 years) before and after two 8-week intervention programmes with different instructional models [i.e. direct instructional model (DIM) and tactical games model (TGM)]. The results show an improvement in creativity (p <.01, ES = 0.6, moderate) and attention (p <.01, ES = 1.0, moderate) in all students after the TGM programme. Older students (grade 6) also improved impulse control after TGM (p <.01, ES = 1.5, large). No significant differences were observed after the DIM in any of the analysed cognitive functions (p >.05). These results lead us to think that TGM could be an effective tool for improving children's cognitive functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Sport & Health Research is the property of Journal of Sport & Health Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives: The Spanish National Pedagogic Museum (Museo Pedagógico Nacional, MPN), founded by La Institución Libre de Enseñanza, organized the first summer school camps in Spain and their initiative was followed by other institutions in this country. MPN prepared anthropological forms for those sojourns, which included information about both metric and physiological measurements of the schoolchildren. The aim of the current work is to analyze hand grip strength data and to compare them with recent values. Methods: The initial sample included 2418 schoolchildren from 6 to 16 years old (1467 males, 951 females) attending the camps, but after preliminary analyses, the study was restricted to 1073 boys and 818 girls in the 1900–1925 interval. Three time periods were established and 13 categories of height at camp entry, every 5 cm. Normality tests were run as well as contrasts of means, and both average values and percentiles were calculated for hand grip strength in both hands, as a function of age and height categories. Results: The 1900–1925 interval was chosen since there were no significant differences among hand grip data within that period. Results show that children attending the camps had dynamometry values in both hands well below the current ones, both with reference to their height and to their age. Conclusions: Camp attendees displayed very low values of height and hand grip strength in both hands. Both are significantly lower than contemporary values, manifesting a secular effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the associations between physical activity (PA) and physical fitness (PF) with lean body mass (LBM) and evaluated whether PA mediates the association between PF and LBM. 279 children (150 boys) aged 7.5 ± 0.3 years participated in the study. PA was assessed by accelerometry and PF with handgrip and the standing long jump test. Total lean soft tissue mass index (TLSTMI), muscle cross-sectional area index (MCSAI), and fat-free mass index (FFMI) were evaluated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, peripheral quantitative computed tomography, and bioimpedance analysis, respectively. Total (β = 0.247) and vigorous PA (β = 0.143) were associated with TLSTMI in girls. In boys, total (β = 0.337), light (β = 0.290), vigorous (β = 0.200), and moderate-vigorous PA (β = 0.189) were associated with TLSTMI. Total PA was associated with FFMI (β = 0.299). Handgrip strength does not mediate the relationship between total PA and TLSTMI. Positive associations were found between handgrip strength and TLSTMI, MCSAI, and FFMI in both girls and boys. In children, there is a positive association between total and vigorous PA with TLSTMI. Handgrip strength does not mediate the relationship between total PA and TLSTMI. It was associated with TLSTMI, MCSAI, and FFMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical activity is related with academic achievement in children. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess whether cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and executive function act as mediators of the association between moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and academic achievement. This study included 186 schoolchildren (9-11 years) from Cuenca, Spain. Sociodemographic variables, anthropometric variables, academic achievement, executive function (inhibition, cognitive flexibility and working memory), CRF (20-m shuttle run) and physical activity (by accelerometry) were measured. Serial mediation models were estimated using the Hayes´ PROCESS macro. The significant paths in the model mediating this relationship between MVPA and academic achievement were as follows: MVPA → CRF → academic achievement (IE = 0.068, 95% CI: [0.018; 0.127]; IE = 0.079, 95% CI: [0.029; 0.144]; and IE = 0.090, 95% CI: [0.032; 0.165], controlling for inhibition, cognitive flexibility and working memory, respectively), MVPA → CRF → inhibition → academic achievement (0.018, 95% CI: [0.001; 0.047]) and MVPA → cognitive flexibility → academic achievement (0.087, 95% CI: [0.012; 0.169]). The relationship between MVPA and academic achievement may not be direct but mediated by CRF, cognitive flexibility, and inhibition via CRF. Physical activity interventions to improve AA should be focused on improvements in CRF and executive function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intrinsically adaptive or maladaptive nature of certain activity patterns in fibromyalgia (FM) has been put into question. The role of contextual factors related to their influence on functional limitation is required. Perfectionism complicates the ability to cope of these patients. The aim of the study has been to analyze the moderating role of perfectionism between activity patterns and functional limitation. The sample were 228 women with FM. Moderation analyses were conducted with the PROCESS Macro. Activity avoidance and excessive persistence were associated with poorer functionality, regardless of perfectionism. Pain avoidance and task persistence were more strongly associated with FM impact in women with high or moderate levels of perfectionism. In a clinical setting adapting the recommendations given to patients according to their level of perfectionism would be justified. Pain avoidance might be inadvisable at high levels of perfectionism, and task persistence is recommendable especially when perfectionism is high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considerable public health efforts across the globe have focused on promoting physical activity (PA) and minimizing sedentary behaviour (SB) in youths. However, it is important to have valid, reliable and feasible methods to assess these behaviours in youths. The purpose of this study was to analyse the feasibility and reliability of the Spanish version of the previously validated Youth Activity Profile questionnaire (YAP) in children and adolescents. The YAP-S is a 15-item self-report instrument designed to capture PA and SB in youths. A total of 604 children (5–12 years old) and 346 adolescents (12–17 years old) filled out the questionnaire twice (14 days apart). Feasibility was evaluated through required time and number of misunderstood questions by participants. The test-retest reliability was examined using the weighted kappa coefficient (κ) and intraclass correlation coefficient. The average time to complete the questionnaire was 28.85 ± 14.28 and 12.24 ± 9.84 minutes in children and adolescents, respectively. No misunderstanding of questions was reported. The questionnaire showed an adequate reliability for activity at school, out-of-school and sedentary behaviours (k = 0.61–0.77; ICC = 0.77–0.89) in children and adolescents. The YAP-S might be considered a feasible and reliable questionnaire for assessing PA and SB in Spanish children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies translating the daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) recommendation of total steps/day among adolescents are inconsistent, and those with cadence-based steps are scarce. The main purpose was to compare the accuracy of different daily steps index-based cut-points related to the daily 60 minutes of MVPA recommendation measured by a waist-worn accelerometer for adolescents. Following a cross-sectional design, 428 Spanish adolescents (final sample 351, 50.4% males), aged 13−16 years old, wore an ActiGraph GT3X/+ accelerometer (reference standard = MVPA; index tests = total steps/day, average steps/min and peak 1-min cadence) on the right hip for eight consecutive days. 32.5% of the adolescents met the daily MVPA recommendation. The multiple ROC curve comparisons showed that the accuracy of the daily total step-based recommendation (AUC = 0.97) was statistically higher than for those with the steps/min (AUC = 0.90) and peak 1-min cadence (AUC = 0.58) (p < 0.001). The 10,000-step-per-day cut-point (k= 0.59−0.83) showed highest accuracy values than the 12,000 steps/day (k= 0.20−0.32). Daily total step-based recommendations are more accurate than those with steps/min and peak 1-min cadence for classifying adolescents as being physically active or inactive. A 10,000-step-per-day target is simple and accurate for both male and female adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aims of the present study were to analyze the associations between the socio-demographic and familiar circumstances with: (i) the total leisure-time sedentary behavior (SB) assessed by accelerometry, and (ii) the domain-specific leisure-time SB (i.e., screen-based, educational-based, social-based, and other-based SB), in a sample of Spanish youth. Method: The sample consisted of 1,543 youth (12.02 ± 2.51 years) included in the UP&DOWN study. SB was evaluated by accelerometry and questionnaire. Nationality, location of school, type of school, socio-economic status, parental educational level, parental occupation status, family structure, number of siblings and position among siblings were self-reported by participants or their parents. Linear mixed models, including school and city as random effects, were performed. Results: Several associations were found; however, socio-demographic and family circumstances differently associated with SB according to the domain-specific SB, the sex and the type of day. For example, participants with a father holding a high-skilled occupation spent lower time in screen-based SB during weekdays; and mother occupation status of high qualification was related to higher educational-based SB in boys. Having three or more sibling was associated with lower total SB in boys, while having an obese mother was related to higher screen-based SB on weekends both in boys and girls. Conclusions: Socio-demographic and familiar circumstances are associated with SB in young people, so future interventions should consider multiple and sex-specific factors for reduce SB of young people, focusing especially on youth with a low number of siblings and with parents holding low-skilled employments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The health benefits of active commuting to school in children and adolescents have been widely researched in the last few years, and it is currently of interest to detect the factors that could influence active commuting in a positive or a negative way. In this study, data mining techniques were applied to a sample of 6979 students aged 5–20 years old from south-eastern Spain to analyze what factors influenced their commuting behavior. Several data mining techniques, such as association rules, decision trees, and cluster analyses, were used to examine these influences. The results proved that active commuting could be influenced by several factors. The main factor seemed to be the distance to school; a threshold between 1100 and 1600 m was the distance at which students changed from an active to a passive mode of commuting. We also detected that specific meteorological conditions could influence active commuting in some way. Finally, some factors such as older ages and living in urban areas (as opposed to rural areas) were associated with active modes of commuting. These results prove that data mining techniques are appropriate to further the knowledge in the active commuting field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research question: The objective is to study the correlates of organised and non-organised physical activity done after school hours by children, paying special attention to the effects of school-related variables. Research methods: We estimate a two-part model consisting of a sequential discrete choice model for participation and an interval probit model for the frequency of practice of physical activity, using a Spanish survey conducted in 2011 on 17,633 primary and secondary school pupils throughout the country, aged between 6 and 18 years. Results and findings: The estimates support the specification of different models for participation and frequency, distinguishing between organised and non-organised activities. School-related variables have a significant effect. The existence of a sports project increases the probability of practising both organised and non-organised sports and the frequency of organised activities; the organisation of sports activities by parents' associations is positively associated with the probability of participation in sports, and the type of ownership (state, private, or private schools with public funding) affects both participation and frequency. Implications: There is evidence of some room for policies to favour children's sports participation through schools, especially in the case of organised sports. Policy makers should take into account if it is a state school, a private school or a private school with public funding when designing policies to favour children's physical activity. The development of a sports project by the school and the involvement of parents' or sports associations appear as effective measures in terms of this objective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-sectional study aimed to analyse differences in cognitive performance across fitness components categories (cardiorespiratory fitness [CRF], speed-agility and muscular fitness [MF]) and weight status in children, and to determine whether physical fitness mediates the association between body mass index (BMI) and cognitive performance. Fitness components and BMI were measured using standard procedures in 630 children aged 5-to-7 years from the provinces of Cuenca and Ciudad Real, Spain. BADyG was used to assess cognitive performance. We used ANCOVA models to test mean differences in cognition scores by BMI and fitness categories. Hayes's PROCESS macro was used for mediation analyses. Children with normal weight scored better in spatial factor and general intelligence than their overweight/obese peers (p < 0.05), but differences were attenuated when controlling for CRF (p > 0.05). Children with better results in CRF and speed-agility scored better in all cognitive dimensions even after controlling for BMI (p < 0.05). Similarly, children with high MF obtained better scores in verbal factor (p < 0.05). All fitness components acted as mediators of the relationship between BMI and general intelligence (p < 0.05). These findings highlight the crucial role of fitness in minimising the negative effect of excess weight on children's cognition. Abbreviations: BMI: Body mass index; CRF: Cardiorespiratory fitness; MF: Muscular fitness; BADyG E1: Battery of general and differential aptitudes; SES: Socioeconomic status; SD: Standard deviation; IE: Indirect effect [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this study were to analyse the effect of chronic strength training over concentric power (CON), eccentric power (ECC), ECC/CON ratio, and 20 m linear sprint performance in elite young soccer players. Twenty young elite Spanish soccer players were assigned to an experimental group (CPG) which performed a front-step exercise using a conical pulley, 2–3 sets of 6 repetitions each leg, during 9 weeks (CPG, n=10) in addition to its usual strength training, or to a control group (CG, n=10). The improvements in the ECC mean power (36%, ES=1.61), and ECC / CON ratio (17%, ES=1.77) were substantially greater in the CPG than in the CG while the CON mean power (16%, ES=0.83) was substantially greater in the CG than in the CPG. The sprinting time for 10 m (2.8%, ES=0.78) and the 10 m flying time between 10–20 m (1.72%, ES=0.41) were substantially enhanced in CPG and CG respectively. To be efficient when defining a functional strength training and performance increments using an inertial device, the mean power output need to be measured during the CON and ECC phases and an analysis of the ECC / CON ratio should be included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of the present study were: i) to examine the associations of total accelerometer-based sedentary time (ST) and specific-domain self-reported ST (i.e., screen-based, educational-based, social-based, and other-based ST) with adiposity and physical fitness in youth; and ii) to analyse the mediation effect of physical activity (PA) on associations. This study was conducted with 415 children (9.1 ± 0.4 years) and 853 adolescents (13.6 ± 1.6 years) in Spain during 2011-2012. Total ST and PA were assessed by accelerometry. Leisure-time spent in twelve sedentary behaviours was self-reported. Adiposity and physical fitness was measured following the ALPHA battery for youth. Total accelerometer-based ST was positively associated with global adiposity score in children, and negatively associated with global physical fitness score in children and adolescents; but relationships were not independent of PA. PA mediated all associations of accelerometer-based and self-reported ST with adiposity or physical fitness in children. Conversely, screen-, educational-, social-, and other-based ST were negatively related to physical fitness in adolescents, independently of PA. These findings give an impetus to developing effective strategies for specifically promoting PA in children and for increasing PA while reducing ST in adolescents in order to produce improvements on adiposity and physical fitness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purposes of this study were to examine how fitness at the baseline could predict both academic achievement and academic achievement changes one school year in advance. A total of 194 adolescents (mean age: 14.15 ± 0.97 years old, 112 boys) who attended secondary school participated in our study. Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured with the 20 m endurance shuttle-run test. We also assessed the lower-limbs muscular strength with the standing long jump test and flexibility with the sit-and-reach test. The academic achievement was assessed by school grades. We performed linear regression analyses. Additionally, we examined the relationship between fitness and changes in the academic performance following the same statistical methodology. Cardiorespiratory fitness was positively associated with mathematics one school year in advance (p = 0.025). Cardiorespiratory fitness was also positively associated with changes in Spanish language (p = 0.005), mathematics (p = 0.023), and the grade point average (p = 0.006). Muscular strength was also positively associated with changes in Spanish language (p = 0.040) and mathematics (p = 0.010), while flexibility was associated with changes in Spanish language (p = 0.039) and the grade point average (0.027). Our results suggest that cardiorespiratory fitness was positively associated with academic achievement in adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Home‐based tele‐rehabilitation programs are under development and may be a future option for some patients. The objectives of this non‐randomized clinical trial are to design a home‐based multidisciplinary tele‐rehabilitation protocol for patients with hip fracture, and to compare this protocol versus the home‐based usual outpatient rehabilitation protocol. Seventy patients treated for an acute hip fracture, aged 65 years or older, with a high pre‐fracture functional level (Functional Independence Measure score >90), without severe cognitive impairment, absence of terminal disease, discharged to their own home or a relativés home postoperatively, allowed weight‐bearing, and with signed informed consent, will be allocated into a tele‐rehabilitation group (n = 35) or a control group (n = 35). The inclusion criterion for the intervention group will be to have a caregiver with the ability to access the Internet who is willing to perform exercises and activities with the patient at home. The intervention includes a program of physical exercise and occupational therapy (five weekly sessions during 12 weeks), and recommendations for patients and their caregivers, all delivered through a website. The patient's functional level (Functional Independence Measure), quality of life (Euro‐Qol), physical performance (Timed Up and Go), caregiver burden (Zarit Interview), and other descriptive data will be assessed at hospital discharge, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks. This project will add to the knowledge concerning the feasibility of tele‐rehabilitation as an option to promote recovery of the pre‐fracture functional level for some patients with a hip fracture. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02968589NCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reaction time (RT) tasks assess several brain functions, and a slow RT can be due to various brain diseases, disorders, and acquired conditions. This study examined age and gender differences in RTs of Spanish preschool children on the ruler drop test (RDT) and presents norm-referenced results. Participants were 3,741 children (1,845 girls and 1,896 boys; mean [M] age = 55.93, standard deviation [SD] = 11.14 months; M body mass index = 15.94, SD = 1.91 kg/m2), selected from 51 schools in southern Spain. We measured RT with the RDT, and we collected both right- and left-hand data. We expressed normative mean RDT values of both hands according to gender and age in percentiles. Based on mean RDT scores, girls exhibited a poorer performance than boys aged 4 years (p = .032, Cohen’s d = − 0.122) and 5 years (p = .001, Cohen’s d = −0.194). For the whole group, RDT performance was faster with increased age, from the age of five years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to study the relative importance of dietary habits and aerobic capacity in parameters related to cardiovascular risk in 271 female and 95 male health-science students (mean age = 19.1 ± 1.4 years). In females, fatty-meat consumption predicted triglycerides (β = .649, p < .001) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL; β = −.242, p = .001) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL; β = .373, p < .001) cholesterol levels. Consumption of nuts, legumes, and complex carbohydrates predicted triglyceride (β = −.099, p = .074), HDL (β = .231, p = .001), and LDL (β = −.155, p = .025) levels, respectively. Aerobic capacity (β = −.245, p < .001) and fatty-meat intake (β = .230, p < .001) predicted diastolic blood pressure (BP); body mass index (BMI) predicted systolic BP (β = .340, p < .001). In males, body fat percentage was the strongest predictor of triglycerides (β = .348, p = .004), cholesterol (β = .366, p = .006), HDL (β = −.378, p = .004), and LDL (β = .271, p = .043) levels. Aerobic capacity (β = −.263, p = .013) and fatty-meat consumption (β = .334, p = .005) independently predicted triglyceride levels. Nut (β = −.286, p = .013) and fatty-meat intake (β = .361, p = .002) predicted systolic BP, while BMI predicted diastolic BP (β = .209, p = .045). As health sciences students, these participants are future health professionals; targeting such populations is important for chronic disease prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a resistance training program (RTP) in older overweight women (OOW) using two different types of elastic devices. Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial with pre- and postintervention measures. Participants included OOW, aged 60–85 years, with no medical history of disease that would preclude them from engaging in physical exercise. Participants were randomly divided into the following groups: elastic tubes with handles group (ETG; n = 22), traditional elastic bands group (n = 21), and control group (CG; n = 20). Exercise groups (EGs) performed the following supervised RTP: 8 weeks, twice weekly, six overall body exercises, and 3–4 sets of 10 repetitions at a rate of perceived exertion (RPE) of 7–9 on the OMNI-Resistance Exercise Scale of perceived exertion. The controls did not change their usual lifestyle. Outcome measures included body composition (BC; total and regional percentage of fat mass [FM] and fat-free mass [FFM]) and physical performance (PP; dynamic and isometric strength, flexibility, agility/dynamic balance, and endurance). Results: Both EGs exhibited significantly reduced FM in the upper limbs (ULs) and trunk and increased FFM in the UL, while the ETG exhibited a significantly increased trunk FFM. Both EGs improved in PP, and there were no intergroup differences. Trunk FM and FFM and meters walked differed significantly between the ETG and CG. The CG did not exhibit any significant changes. Conclusion: Training with elastic devices at a moderate–high RPE produces short-term improvements in BC and PP in OOW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although exercise is essential for the treatment of fibromyalgia, adherence is low. Walking, as a form of physical exercise, has significant advantages. The aim of this article is to describe, in 920 women with fibromyalgia, the prevalence of certain walking beliefs and analyze their effects both on the walking behavior itself and on the associated symptoms when patients walk according to a clinically recommended way. The results highlight the high prevalence of beliefs related to pain and fatigue as walking-inhibitors. In the whole sample, beliefs are associated with an increased perception that comorbidity prevents walking, and with higher levels of pain and fatigue. In patients who walk regularly, beliefs are only associated with the perception that comorbidity prevents them from walking. It is necessary to promote walking according to the established way (including breaks to prevent fatigue) and to implement interventions on the most prevalent beliefs that inhibit walking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine age and sex differences in static balance (SB) and to determine norm-referenced values for Spanish preschool children. A total of 3,575 children, aged 3-6 years (age = 56.08 ± 11.11 months; body mass index = 15.94 ± 1.91 kg/m²; 1,759 girls and 1,816 boys) were selected from 51 schools in southern Spain. To measure SB, we used the Stork Balance Stand Test, averaging both right and left foot data for determining SB normative values, expressed in percentiles. Girls exhibited a better performance than boys at four years of age (p = .010, Cohen's d = -0.165), but a poorer performance at six years (p = .002, Cohen's d = 0.247). SB performance of the entire sample was higher with increased age, except for 5-6 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breastfeeding duration has been associated with less low-grade inflammation in healthy adolescents, but there is scarce information regarding obese subjects. This study aimed to evaluate whether exclusive breastfeeding is related to serum concentrations of inflammatory markers in a population of Spanish adolescents. Method: A cross-sectional study was performed on 1,001 adolescents (13.2 ± 1.2 years) randomly recruited from schools in southeast Spain. Data on breastfeeding duration were collected via a parental questionnaire. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. C-reactive protein (CRP) was determined by solid-phase chemiluminescent immunometric assay. Results: Nonadjusted and adjusted multivariate correlation analyses confirmed a strong association (p < .001, 95% confidence interval) between the three markers of inflammation and exclusive breastfeeding duration. No significant differences were observed for IL-6, TNF-α, and CRP serum concentrations among normal weight, overweight, and obese adolescents, except for IL-6 between normal weight and obese subjects. Likewise, no significant association was found between these markers of inflammation and body mass index (BMI) z-score. Conclusions: We found a possible association between inflammatory markers and exclusive breastfeeding duration in adolescents, regardless of their BMI. This finding suggests that increased body weight or obesity might not mediate the association between breastfeeding and inflammation. These results contribute to the understanding of the relationship between breastfeeding and inflammatory markers in adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background It is a priority to understand that physical activity behaviour over time is a priority in Down syndrome population in order to design and promote succesfull interventions to maintain or increase levels of physical activity. We aimed to study 1 and 2-year changes in objectively measured physical activity among a relatively large sample of adolescents with Down syndrome. Methods This study comprised a total of 99 adolescents with Down syndrome (38 girls) aged from 11 to 20 years old at baseline. Participants with valid accelerometer data at baseline and at least one of the follow-up visits were included in the analysis. Results Overall, levels of physical activity observed in adolescents with Down syndrome declined from baseline to follow-ups, but these changes were not significant (all P > 0.05). Moderate-to-moderately high tracking of physical activity was observed in adolescents with Down syndrome (all P < 0.001). Youths who met physical activity guidelines at baseline demonstrated a greater decline in physical activity in 1 and 2-year changes ( P < 0.05), although they were also more likely to meet physical activity guidelines at 1 and 2-year follow-ups ( P < 0.05). Conclusions Adolescents with Down syndrome do not change their levels of physical activity at 2-year follow-ups, but those who met physical activity guidelines presented stronger declines in physical activity over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Because fitness level is a potent biomarker of health from an early age, the improvements of physical fitness performance through the promotion of physical activity could be important for the health of preschool children, particularly in obesity prevention. Objective The purpose of this study is to determine the physical fitness in children aged 3-6 years, discriminating performance by sex, age and body mass index (BMI). Method A total of 3868 children from 3 to 6 years agreed voluntarily to participate. Demographic characteristics revealed that 1961 children were male (age: 55.71 ± 11.11 months old, BMI = 16.03 ± 1.93 kg/m2), and 1907 were female (age 56.16 ± 0.97 months old, BMI = 15.85 ± 1.89 kg/m2), and they were selected from 51 schools in southern Spain. Results Significant differences were found between sexes: boys showed a greater performance on cardio respiratory endurance, reaction time, strength and running speed. We found significant differences by sex in the different age groups (3, 4, 5 and 6 years old). Conclusions Sex differences in physical fitness are evident at an early age; in addition, the relationship between physical fitness and BMI is inconsistent in preschool children. The improvements of physical fitness performance and its association with physical activity could be important for the health of children, particularly in obesity prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food advertising targeted at children is associated with the development of unhealthy eating habits and childhood obesity. In Spain, where one in every three children suffers from overweight, a voluntary regulation mechanism has been adopted to control such advertising, despite evidence of its ineffectiveness. This study's stated objective was to evaluate the grounds for implementing a policy that would ban the advertising of energy-dense, nutrient-poor (EDNP) food and beverages targeted at children in Spain, incorporating an ethical perspective in the analysis. Using a bibliographic search of various databases, we reviewed the evidence for answering the seven questions posed by Walton etal.'s ethical evaluation framework, drawn up on the basis of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics Stewardship model. The results show that the proposed intervention is costeffective, minimally intrusive, promotes healthy environments, acts on a vulnerable population, helps children lead healthy lifestyles, reduces social health inequalities, increases parents' individual freedom of choice and enjoys the support of scientists, health professionals and consumers alike. Accordingly, we feel that the time has come for food advertising directed to children in Spain to be statutorily regulated, by banning the promotion of EDNP products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the association of fitness and fatness with cognitive function in women with fibromyalgia, and the independent influence of their single components on cognitive tasks. A total of 468 women with fibromyalgia were included. Speed of information processing and working memory (Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task), as well as immediate and delayed recall, verbal learning and delayed recognition (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test) were assessed. Aerobic fitness, muscle strength, flexibility and motor agility were assessed with the Senior Fitness Test battery. Body mass index, percent body fat, fat-mass index and waist circumference were measured. Aerobic fitness was associated with attention and working memory (all,p < 0.05). All fitness components were generally associated with delayed recall, verbal learning and delayed recognition (all,p < 0.05). Aerobic fitness showed the most powerful association with attention, working memory, delayed recall and verbal learning, while motor agility was the most powerful indicator of delayed recognition. None of the fatness parameters were associated with any of the outcomes (all,p > 0.05). Our results suggest that fitness, but not fatness, is associated with cognitive function in women with fibromyalgia. Aerobic fitness appears to be the most powerful fitness component regarding the cognitive tasks evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background Interest on the impact of socioeconomic differences on youth's health is growing. The aim of the present study was to examine the association of parental educational level with psychological positive health and health complaints in Spanish children and adolescents. Methods Parental educational level, psychological positive health indicators (perceived health status, life satisfaction, quality of family relationships, quality of peer relationships and academic performance) and health complaint index (headache, stomach ache, backache, feeling low, irritability or bad temper, feeling nervous, difficulties getting to sleep, feeling dizzy) were self-reported using the Health Behavior in School-aged Children questionnaire in 685 (366 boys and 319 girls) children and adolescents. Results Children reporting parents with non-university studies (father, mother or both) had significantly higher odd ratio of having lower academic performance, lower life satisfaction, perceiving their health status as otherwise (vs. excellent) and having health complaints sometime than their counterparts reporting parents with university studies (father, mother or both). Conclusion Current results provide evidence that children having parents with a university degree (father, mother or both) are more likely to have higher psychological positive health and lower health complaints than children reporting parents with non-university studies. This is particularly important for the welfare policy that must pay attention for implementing programs for helping population to access to university studies by their impact on youth health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying modifiable factors that influence bone gain during early adulthood in order to maximize peak bone mass (PBM) is a potential primary strategy in the prevention of osteoporosis in later life. The present study examined the relationships between body composition, dietary intake and physical activity (PA), and bone health measured by quantitative ultrasound (QUS) at the right calcaneus. The study population consisted of 781 Spanish men and women (age 19.1 ± 3.6). Body composition, dietary intake, PA, and bone strength were assessed. Calcaneus QUS was significantly correlated with age, height, weight, body mass index, lean mass, fat mass, protein intake, and moderate and high PA. No significant correlation between calcium intake and broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA, dB/MHz) was detected. Linear regression analyses revealed that independent variables accounted for 18.8% of the total variance of calcaneus BUA (p = .000). Lean mass and high PA were significant predictors of BUA variance in young adults (p = .000 and p = .045, respectively). Results indicate that lifestyle choices and their consequences during early adulthood could influence bone mass, particularly PA and lean mass. Furthermore, this study provides novel data about bone mass as indicated by the QUS measurements at the time of PBM acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of establishing how the elderly subjectively perceive their physical fitness has been studied so that future action plans may be established to improve their quality of life. The main goal of this research was to evaluate how Spanish people aged 65 years and over, perceive their level of physical fitness and the relationship this has with the different types of demands (established, latent, absent), for physical activity. Cross-sectional research was conducted involving face-to-face interviews using a standardised questionnaire and involving 907 elderly persons (male=428; female=479), aged over 65 years (74.12±6.55). The results suggest that the majority of the elderly perceived their fitness as good or very good, with this variable being most positively perceived among people who exercise, the males and the younger persons among those interviewed. However, nearly half of the participants perceived their physical fitness as being somewhat poor and considered that they should start participating in physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between TV and computer use, study time, and physical activity, with regard to gender, school, and weekday/weekend. Adolescents (N = 1,609; M age=14.5 yr., SD = 1.3) reported on physical activity, sedentary behavior, their parents' employment, and environmental factors. The relationship between PA and screen media behaviors was negative on weekdays, while no relationship was found at weekends. Only 30.7% of adolescents met the screen media guidelines on weekdays and 14.6% at weekends. Girls spent more time on study, only showing a positive relationship with physical activity on weekdays. Each type of sedentary behavior has different correlates for weekdays and weekends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study examined the association between key components of physical fitness with inhibition and cognitive flexibility in preschoolers., Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 362 Spanish preschoolers. The key components of physical fitness and executive functioning were measured., Results: The partial correlation controlling for body mass index and family socioeconomic status showed that inhibition was positively related to cardiorespiratory fitness. No association was found between muscular strength (i.e., standing long jump and dynamometry) and speed/agility with inhibition or between physical fitness components and cognitive flexibility. The inhibition mean scores were significantly higher in preschoolers with higher cardiorespiratory than in their peers who were in lower categories, after adjustments were made for confounders. Additionally, the results showed that cardiorespiratory fitness was a significant predictor of inhibition, but for cognitive flexibility, age was the only significant predictor., Conclusions: Our data suggest that cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with inhibition in preschoolers. Likewise, our results also suggest that cognitive flexibility is an executive function that is more dependent on changes associated with age at this development stage. These findings are important for supporting initiatives that aimed at stimulating healthy brain development, and promote the improvement of cardiorespiratory fitness at early ages.

Purpose: This study examined the associations of different levels of depression with pain, sleep quality, fatigue, functional exercise capacity, overall fibromyalgia (FM) severity, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in women with FM.Methods: A total of 451 women with FM participated in this cross-sectional study. Depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory; BDI-II), pain intensity (numerical rating scale; NRS), pain sensitivity (algometry), sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), fatigue (Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory), functional exercise capacity (6-min walk test), FM severity (revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire), and HRQoL (SF-36) were assessed.Results: Participants with severe depressive symptoms had significantly higher pain intensity (NRS = 1.1; 95 % CI 0.3-1.8), fatigue (12.6-units; 95 % CI 8.2-17.1) and overall FM severity (12.6-units; 95 % CI 11.4-23.7), as well as poorer sleep quality (3.2-units; 95 % CI 1.7-4.7) and mental component of HRQoL (-17.0-units; 95 % CI -21.0 to -12.9) than participants with minimal signs of depression. There was no association of signs of depression with pain sensitivity, exercise capacity, or the physical component of HRQoL (P > 0.05).Conclusions: These results extend current knowledge on the association of signs of depression with FM severity and quality of life in women with FM, and suggest that severity of depressive symptoms could potentially be a prognostic factor to be considered in future prospective intervention studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to analyse whether there are differences in bone mass in girls playing different sports. Two hundred girls (10.6 ± 1.5 years old, Tanner stages I–III) participated in the study and were divided into groups of 40 (swimmers, soccer players, basketball players, handball players and controls). Bone mineral content and bone mineral density (BMD) (whole body and hip) were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The degree of sexual development was determined using Tanner test, and physical activity habits were recorded through a questionnaire designed ad hoc for this research. Girls were divided by pubertal stage and the type of sport. In the prepubertal group, intertrochanteric BMD was significantly higher in both handball and soccer players compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, in the pubertal group, total BMD, mean arms BMD, pelvis BMD, femoral neck BMD, intertrochanteric BMD and Ward’s triangle BMD were significantly higher in soccer and handball players compared with the control group (P < 0.05), and the swimmers showed significantly higher values in the mean arms BMD compared with the control group (P < 0.01). Our data suggest that sport practice during puberty, especially in activities that support the body weight, may be an important factor in achieving a high peak bone mass and improving bone health in girls. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]