Cardiorespiratory fitness in adolescents
Abstract
Objective
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of cardiorespiratory fitness and its association with sociodemographic characteristics and body composition in adolescents.
Method
This is a cross‐sectional study with 601 students (14‐17 years) of the public school system in the Mid‐western state of Santa Catarina. Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured by the 20‐meter back‐and‐forth test. Information on gender, age and economic status, body weight, height, waist circumference and skinfold thickness were collected. Statistical analysis (Mann‐Whitney U, chi‐square and logistic regression tests) was performed, with 5% significance level.
Results
The prevalence of inadequate cardiorespiratory fitness was 61.1%, being higher in boys and in those with inadequate body composition. Inadequate body composition was associated with poor cardiorespiratory fitness even after adjusted by sex, age and economic status.
Conclusion
It was concluded that most adolescents showed inadequate levels of cardiorespiratory fitness and the association between body composition and inadequate cardiorespiratory fitness is independent of sociodemographic characteristics of adolescents.
