The Impact of Obesity on the Fitness Performance of School-Aged Children Living in Rural Areas—The West Attica Project

Charilaos Tsolakis (), Evgenia D. Cherouveim, Apostolos Zacharias Skouras, Dimitrios Antonakis-Karamintzas, Cara Czvekus, Panagiotis Halvatsiotis, Olga Savvidou and Panagiotis Koulouvaris
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Charilaos Tsolakis: 1st Department of Orthopedics Surgery, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
Evgenia D. Cherouveim: 1st Department of Orthopedics Surgery, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
Apostolos Zacharias Skouras: 1st Department of Orthopedics Surgery, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
Dimitrios Antonakis-Karamintzas: 1st Department of Orthopedics Surgery, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
Cara Czvekus: Health Science, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807, USA
Panagiotis Halvatsiotis: 2nd Department of Internal Medicine Propaedeutic “Attikon” University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
Olga Savvidou: 1st Department of Orthopedics Surgery, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
Panagiotis Koulouvaris: 1st Department of Orthopedics Surgery, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 18, 1-16

Abstract: This study aimed to investigate the relationship of body mass index (BMI) with muscle and cardiorespiratory fitness in children living within rural areas (regional unit of West Attica) in Greece. Participants included 399 students (187 boys, 212 girls), ages 8–12 years old, and were evaluated in physical performance tests. The point prevalence of overweight and obesity was 21.39% and 26.20% in boys, and 19.90% and 23.79% in girls. Significant differences were observed in all physical performance tests (handgrip, long jump, shuttle run, trunk flexors, and extensors endurance) between normal weight and obese participants. BMI was positively correlated with handgrip (r = 0.442−0.462, p < 0.001). There was a negative association with long jump (r = −0.206, p < 0.001), 20 m shuttle run (r = −0.394, p < 0.001), trunk flexors (r = −0.403, p < 0.001) and trunk extensors endurance (r = −0.280, p < 0.001). The regression analysis showed that 20–30% of the overall variation for physical performance assessments could be accounted for by BMI, age, and sex. With the exception of the long jump and the endurance of the trunk extensors, BMI alone may explain more than 10% of the outcome of most tests. This study highlights the determinant of BMI on muscle and cardiorespiratory fitness. The management of obesity should begin early in childhood to prevent adult chronic cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

Keywords: pediatric obesity; childhood obesity; overweight; prevalence; elementary school; physical fitness; remote health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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