Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Department of Research and Development in Teacher Education, University College of Teacher Education Tyrol, Innsbruck, Austria.
J Sports Sci. 2022 Apr;40(8):920-927. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2022.2038874. Epub 2022 Feb 22.
Physical fitness (PF) shows favourable associations with several health indicators in children. Children's PF depends on a variety of non-modifiable (e.g., sex and age) and modifiable factors (e.g., weight status and sports participation). The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of modifiable and non-modifiable factors on the development of PF during the 4 years of primary school. A longitudinal study was carried out with 265 children. PF was assessed using the German Motor Performance Test 6-18, whereas modifiable and non-modifiable factors with parent's and children's questionnaires. Total PF z-score increased by 1.4 standard deviations from 1 to 4 year and raw values of subtests improved by an average of about 40%. The variables "parents' physical activity", "never being overweight", "sports club participation", and "playing outside" were positively associated with PF development. The present study highlights that a variety of modifiable factors, both from children and their parents, are significantly associated with the development of children's PF during primary education. Interventions should not only focus on direct actions, such as proposing specific exercise programs, but also aim at increasing parents' awareness of their role model function in endorsing their children's healthy active lifestyle, especially at early ages.
体适能（PF）与儿童的多项健康指标呈正相关。儿童的体适能取决于多种不可变因素（如性别和年龄）和可改变因素（如体重状况和运动参与度）。本研究旨在评估可改变和不可改变因素对儿童在小学 4 年期间体适能发展的影响。对 265 名儿童进行了一项纵向研究。采用德国运动表现测试 6-18 对体适能进行评估，同时使用家长和儿童的问卷评估可改变和不可改变因素。从 1 岁到 4 岁，PF 的总 z 评分增加了 1.4 个标准差，各分项测试的原始值平均提高了约 40%。“父母的体育活动”、“从不超重”、“参加运动俱乐部”和“户外活动”等变量与体适能发展呈正相关。本研究强调，儿童及其家长的多种可改变因素与儿童在小学教育期间体适能的发展显著相关。干预措施不仅应侧重于直接行动，例如提出具体的运动方案，还应旨在提高家长对其作为鼓励孩子健康积极生活方式的榜样的作用的认识，尤其是在儿童早期。
