Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2010

Open Access 01-12-2010 | Research article

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

Authors: Kwok-Kei Mak, Sai-Yin Ho, Wing-Sze Lo, G Neil Thomas, Alison M McManus, Jeffrey R Day, Tai-Hing Lam

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2010

Login to get access

Abstract

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-and-reach, 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.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
Ogden CL, Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Johnson CL: Prevalence and trends in overweight among US children and adolescents, 1999-2000. JAMA. 2002, 288 (14): 1728-1732. 10.1001/jama.288.14.1728.CrossRefPubMed
2.
Malina RM: Physical fitness of children and adolescents in the United States: status and secular change. Med Sport Sci. 2007, 50: 67-90. full_text.CrossRefPubMed
3.
Mikkelsson L, Kaprio J, Kautiainen H, Kujala U, Mikkelsson M, Nupponen H: School fitness tests as predictors of adult health-related fitness. Am J Hum Biol. 2006, 18 (3): 342-349. 10.1002/ajhb.20498.CrossRefPubMed
4.
Mellin AE, Neumark-Sztainer D, Story M, Ireland M, Resnick MD: Unhealthy behaviors and psychosocial difficulties among overweight adolescents: the potential impact of familial factors. J Adolesc Health. 2002, 31 (2): 145-153. 10.1016/S1054-139X(01)00396-2.CrossRefPubMed
5.
Neumark-Sztainer D, Story M, French SA, Hannan PJ, Resnick MD, Blum RW: Psychosocial concerns and health-compromising behaviors among overweight and nonoverweight adolescents. Obes Res. 1997, 5 (3): 237-249.CrossRefPubMed
6.
Sweeting H, Wright C, Minnis H: Psychosocial correlates of adolescent obesity, 'slimming down' and 'becoming obese'. J Adolesc Health. 2005, 37 (5): 409-10.1016/j.jadohealth.2005.01.008.CrossRefPubMed
7.
Morrison JA, Sprecher DL, Barton BA, Waclawiw MA, Daniels SR: Overweight, fat patterning, and cardiovascular disease risk factors in black and white girls: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study. J Pediatr. 1999, 135 (4): 458-464. 10.1016/S0022-3476(99)70168-X.CrossRefPubMed
8.
Freedman DS, Dietz WH, Srinivasan SR, Berenson GS: The relation of overweight to cardiovascular risk factors among children and adolescents: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Pediatrics. 1999, 103 (6 Pt 1): 1175-1182. 10.1542/peds.103.6.1175.CrossRefPubMed
9.
Deforche B, Lefevre J, De Bourdeaudhuij I, Hills AP, Duquet W, Bouckaert J: Physical fitness and physical activity in obese and nonobese Flemish youth. Obes Res. 2003, 11 (3): 434-441. 10.1038/oby.2003.59.CrossRefPubMed
10.
Kim J, Must A, Fitzmaurice GM, Gillman MW, Chomitz V, Kramer E, McGowan R, Peterson KE: Relationship of physical fitness to prevalence and incidence of overweight among schoolchildren. Obes Res. 2005, 13 (7): 1246-1254. 10.1038/oby.2005.148.CrossRefPubMed
11.
Lloyd LK, Bishop PA, Walker JL, Sharp KR, Richardson MT: The Influence of Body Size and Composition on FITNESSGRAM(r) Test Performance and the Adjustment of FITNESSGRAM(r) Test Scores for Skinfold Thickness in Youth. Meas Phys Educ Exerc Sci. 2003, 7 (4): 205-226. 10.1207/S15327841MPEE0704_1.CrossRef
12.
Chen W, Lin CC, Peng CT, Li CI, Wu HC, Chiang J, Wu JY, Huang PC: Approaching healthy body mass index norms for children and adolescents from health-related physical fitness. Obes Rev. 2002, 3 (3): 225-232. 10.1046/j.1467-789X.2002.00064.x.CrossRefPubMed
13.
Chen LJ, Fox KR, Haase A, Wang JM: Obesity, fitness and health in Taiwanese children and adolescents. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2006, 60 (12): 1367-1375. 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602466.CrossRefPubMed
14.
Artero EG, Espana-Romero V, Ortega FB, Jimenez-Pavon D, Ruiz JR, Vicente-Rodriguez G, Bueno M, Marcos A, Gomez-Martinez S, Urzanqui A, Gonzalez-Gross M, Moreno LA, Gutierrez A, Castillo MJ: Health-related fitness in adolescents: underweight, and not only overweight, as an influencing factor. The AVENA study. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2009
15.
Hayashi F, Takimoto H, Yoshita K, Yoshiike N: Perceived body size and desire for thinness of young Japanese women: a population-based survey. Br J Nutr. 2006, 96 (6): 1154-1162. 10.1017/BJN20061921.CrossRefPubMed
16.
Wang MC, Ho TF, Anderson JN, Sabry ZI: Preference for thinness in Singapore--a newly industrialised society. Singapore Med J. 1999, 40 (8): 502-507.PubMed
17.
Ung EK, Lee DS: Thin desires and fat realities. Singapore Med J. 1999, 40 (8): 495-497.PubMed
18.
Doak CM, Adair LS, Bentley M, Monteiro C, Popkin BM: The dual burden household and the nutrition transition paradox. Int J Obes. 2005, 29 (1): 129-136. 10.1038/sj.ijo.0802824.CrossRef
19.
Doak CM, Adair LS, Monteiro C, Popkin BM: Overweight and underweight coexist within households in Brazil, China and Russia. J Nutr. 2000, 130 (12): 2965-2971.PubMed
20.
Wang Y, Monteiro C, Popkin BM: Trends of obesity and underweight in older children and adolescents in the United States, Brazil, China, and Russia. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002, 75 (6): 971-977.PubMed
21.
Shi Z, Lien N, Nirmal Kumar B, Holmboe-Ottesen G: Perceptions of weight and associated factors of adolescents in Jiangsu Province, China. Public Health Nutr. 2007, 10 (3): 298-305. 10.1017/S1368980007352488.CrossRefPubMed
22.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: National Center for Health Statistics: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Anthropometry Procedures Manual. 2000, Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics
23.
Cole TJ, Bellizzi MC, Flegal KM, Dietz WH: Establishing a standard definition for child overweight and obesity worldwide: international survey. BMJ. 2000, 320 (7244): 1240-1243. 10.1136/bmj.320.7244.1240.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
24.
Cole TJ, Flegal KM, Nicholls D, Jackson AA: Body mass index cut offs to define thinness in children and adolescents: international survey. BMJ. 2007, 335 (7612): 194-10.1136/bmj.39238.399444.55.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
25.
Mikkelsson LO, Nupponen H, Kaprio J, Kautiainen H, Mikkelsson M, Kujala UM: Adolescent flexibility, endurance strength, and physical activity as predictors of adult tension neck, low back pain, and knee injury: a 25 year follow up study. Br J Sports Med. 2006, 40 (2): 107-113. 10.1136/bjsm.2004.017350.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
26.
Inokuchi M, Matsuo N, Takayama JI, Hasegawa T: Prevalence and trends of underweight and BMI distribution changes in Japanese teenagers based on the 2001 National Survey data. Ann Hum Biol. 2007, 34 (3): 354-361. 10.1080/03014460701300109.CrossRefPubMed
27.
Marques-Vidal P, Ferreira R, Oliveira JM, Paccaud F: Is thinness more prevalent than obesity in Portuguese adolescents?. Clin Nutr. 2008, 27 (4): 531-536. 10.1016/j.clnu.2008.04.002.CrossRefPubMed
28.
Oner N, Vatansever U, Sari A, Ekuklu E, Guzel A, Karasalihoglu S, Boris NW: Prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity in Turkish adolescents. Swiss Med Wkly. 2004, 134 (35-36): 529-533.PubMed
29.
Bovet P, Auguste R, Burdette H: Strong inverse association between physical fitness and overweight in adolescents: a large school-based survey. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2007, 4: 24-10.1186/1479-5868-4-24.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
30.
Huang YC, Malina RM: BMI and health-related physical fitness in Taiwanese youth 9-18 years. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007, 39 (4): 701-708. 10.1249/mss.0b013e31802f0512.CrossRefPubMed
31.
Butterfield SA, Lehnhard RA, Coladarci T: Age, sex, and body mass index in performance of selected locomotor and fitness tasks by children in grades K-2. Percept Mot Skills. 2002, 94 (1): 80-86. 10.2466/PMS.94.1.80-86.CrossRef
32.
Orjan E, Kristjan O, Bjorn E: Physical performance and body mass index in Swedish children and adolescents. Scand J Nutr. 2005, 49 (4): 172-179. 10.1080/11026480500441275.CrossRef
33.
Graf C, Koch B, Kretschmann-Kandel E, Falkowski G, Christ H, Coburger S, Lehmacher W, Bjarnason-Wehrens B, Platen P, Tokarski W, Predel HG, Dordel S: Correlation between BMI, leisure habits and motor abilities in childhood (CHILT-project). Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2004, 28 (1): 22-26. 10.1038/sj.ijo.0802428.CrossRefPubMed
34.
Cureton KJ, Boileau RA, Lohman TG, Misner JE: Determinants of distance running performance in children: analysis of a path model. Res Q. 1977, 48 (2): 270-279.PubMed
35.
Ekelund U, Franks PW, Wareham NJ, Aman J: Oxygen uptakes adjusted for body composition in normal-weight and obese adolescents. Obes Res. 2004, 12 (3): 513-520. 10.1038/oby.2004.58.CrossRefPubMed
36.
Prista A, Maia JA, Damasceno A, Beunen G: Anthropometric indicators of nutritional status: implications for fitness, activity, and health in school-age children and adolescents from Maputo, Mozambique. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003, 77 (4): 952-959.PubMed
37.
Ruiz JR, Castro-Pinero J, Artero EG, Ortega FB, Sjostrom M, Suni J, Castillo MJ: Predictive validity of health-related fitness in youth: a systematic review. Br J Sports Med. 2009, 43 (12): 909-923. 10.1136/bjsm.2008.056499.CrossRefPubMed
38.
Malina RM, Beunen GP, Classens AL, Lefevre J, Eynde Vanden BV, Renson R, Vanreusel B, Simons J: Fatness and physical fitness of girls 7 to 17 years. Obes Res. 1995, 3 (3): 221-231.CrossRefPubMed
39.
Ortega FB, Artero EG, Ruiz JR, Vicente-Rodriguez G, Bergman P, Hagstromer M, Ottevaere C, Nagy E, Konsta O, Rey-Lopez JP, Polito A, Dietrich S, Plada M, Beghin L, Manios Y, Sjostrom M, Castillo MJ: Reliability of health-related physical fitness tests in European adolescents. The HELENA Study. Int J Obes. 2008, 32 (Suppl 5): S49-57. 10.1038/ijo.2008.183.CrossRef
40.
Armstrong N, Welsman J: Essay: Physiology of the child athlete. Lancet. 2005, 366 (Suppl 1): S44-45. 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67845-2.CrossRefPubMed
41.
Duke PM, Litt IF, Gross RT: Adolescents' self-assessment of sexual maturation. Pediatrics. 1980, 66 (6): 918-920.PubMed
42.
Maheca Matsudo SM, Rodrigues Matsudo VK: Self-assessment and physician assessment of sexual maturation in Brazilian boys and girls: Concordance and reproducibility. Am J Hum Biol. 1994, 6 (4): 451-455. 10.1002/ajhb.1310060406.CrossRef
43.
Croll J, Neumark-Sztainer D, Story M, Ireland M: Prevalence and risk and protective factors related to disordered eating behaviors among adolescents: relationship to gender and ethnicity. J Adolesc Health. 2002, 31 (2): 166-175. 10.1016/S1054-139X(02)00368-3.CrossRefPubMed
44.
Naughton GA, Carlson JS, Greene DA: A challenge to fitness testing in primary schools. J Sci Med Sport. 2006, 9 (1-2): 40-45. 10.1016/j.jsams.2006.01.002.CrossRefPubMed
45.
Beets MW, Pitetti KH: Contribution of physical education and sport to health-related fitness in high school students. J Sch Health. 2005, 75 (1): 25-30. 10.1111/j.1746-1561.2005.tb00005.x.CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
Health-related physical fitness and weight status in Hong Kong adolescents
Authors
Kwok-Kei Mak
Sai-Yin Ho
Wing-Sze Lo
G Neil Thomas
Alison M McManus
Jeffrey R Day
Tai-Hing Lam
Publication date
01-12-2010
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2010
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-10-88

Other articles of this Issue 1/2010

BMC Public Health 1/2010 Go to the issue

Research article

Burden of injury in childhood and adolescence in 8 European countries

Study protocol

Commuting and health in Cambridge: a study of a 'natural experiment' in the provision of new transport infrastructure

Research article

Home-based voluntary HIV counselling and testing found highly acceptable and to reduce inequalities

Study protocol

Prevention of recurrent sickness absence among employees with common mental disorders: design of a cluster-randomised controlled trial with cost-benefit and effectiveness evaluation

Research article

Insulin resistance and its association with the components of the metabolic syndrome among obese children and adolescents

Research article

Establishing a follow-up of the Swiss MONICA participants (1984-1993): record linkage with census and mortality data