Six-year changes in body mass index and cardiorespiratory fitness of English schoolchildren from an affluent area
- Resource Type
- Academic Journal
- Authors
- Sandercock, G RH; Ogunleye, A; Voss, C
- Source
- International Journal of Obesity. Oct 01, 2015 39(10):1504-1507
- Subject
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 0307-0565
We compared values of body mass index (BMI) and cardiorespiratory fitness (20m shuttle-run test) of n = 157 boys and n = 150 girls aged 10-11 measured in 2014 with measures from 2008 and 1998. Boysʼ fitness was lower (d = 0.68) in 2014 than 2008, despite a small (d = 0.37) decline in BMI. Girlʼs BMI changed trivially (d = 0.08) but cardiorespiratory fitness was lower (d = 0.47) in 2014 than 2008. This study suggests fitness is declining at 0.95% per year, which exceeds the 0.8% rate of decline we reported between 1998 and 2008 and is double the global average of 0.43%. Declines in fitness were independent of changes in BMI suggesting continued reductions in English childrenʼs habitual physical activity levels.