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A Canadian peer-reviewed journal of population health and health services research
October 2019
Trends in physical fitness among Canadian children and youth
by Rachel C. Colley, Janine Clarke, Caroline Y. Doyon, Ian Janssen, Justin J. Lang, Brian W. Timmons and Mark S. Tremblay
Physical fitness is a set of attributes that reflect one’s ability to perform physical activity and typically includes measures of cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength and power, flexibility and body composition. Cardiorespiratory fitness is positively associated with improved health in children and youth and large cohort studies have reported a link between low cardiorespiratory fitness in late adolescence and early mortality. Further, fitness in childhood is considered an important indicator of current and future health, independent of physical activity. Evidence indicates that childhood cardiorespiratory fitness levels are declining both worldwide and in Canada. While cardiorespiratory fitness tends to be more strongly associated with health outcomes when compared to measures of muscular strength and flexibility, the other components of physical fitness provide unique information related to physical performance and potentially healthy growth and development. Low grip strength is a risk factor for hypertension and type 2 diabetes and predictor of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality. Flexibility during childhood is a predictor of adult health-related fitness while jumping height and power are indicators of anaerobic fitness and important for many activities of daily living. Active children and youth tend to be fitter than less active children; however the relationships among physical activity, sedentary behaviour and fitness remain unclear and have not been examined using population-level data in Canada.
Abstract Full article PDF version The Daily release
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Trends in physical fitness among Canadian children and youth
- Tremblay MS, Shields M, Laviolette M, et al. Fitness of Canadian children and youth: Results from the 2007-2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey. Health Reports 2010; 21(1): 7-20.
- Fowles J, Roy J, Clarke J, Dogra S. Are the fittest Canadian adults the healthiest? Health Reports 2014; 25(5): 13-18.
- Colley RC, Carson V, Garriguet D, et al. Physical activity of Canadian children and youth, 2007 to 2015. Health Reports 2017; 28(10): 8-16.
Normative-referenced percentile values for physical fitness among Canadians
by Matt D. Hoffmann, Rachel C. Colley, Caroline Y. Doyon, Suzy L. Wong, Grant R. Tomkinson and Justin J. Lang
Physical fitness consists of multiple components (i.e., cardiorespiratory fitness [CRF], musculoskeletal strength, endurance, flexibility, agility, balance) that, together, describe an individual’s ability to perform physical activity. Recent research has identified meaningful associations between physical fitness and health across the lifespan of Canadians, and aspects of physical fitness in childhood are predictive of health outcomes later in life.
Abstract Full article PDF version The Daily release
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Normative-referenced centile values for physical fitness among Canadians
- Wong SL. Grip strength reference values for Canadians aged 6 to 79: Canadian Health Measures Survey, 2007 to 2013. Health Reports 2016; 27(10):3–10.
- Shields M, Tremblay MS, Laviolette M, et al. Fitness of Canadian adults: Results from the 2007-2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey. Health Rep. 2010; 21(1):21-35.
- Tremblay MS, Shields M, Laviolette M, et al. Fitness of Canadian children and youth: Results from the 2007-2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey. Health Rep. 2010; 21(1):7-20.
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