title: Ten year secular declines in the cardiorespiratory fitness of affluent English children are largely independent of changes in body mass index.
abstract: Secular changes in body mass index (BMI) and cardiorespiratory fitness (20 m shuttle-run test performance) were assessed in 10-year-old children from an affluent area of England in 1998 (n = 303; 158 boys and 145 girls) and 2008 (n = 315; 158 boys and 157 girls). Girls' BMI did not change over the 10 year period. There was a significant increase in boys' BMI (p = 0.02). Cardiorespiratory fitness declined significantly (p<0.001) in both boys (7%) and girls (9%). This study shows a large and worrying decline in cardiorespiratory fitness in children from an affluent area of England.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Sports and Exercise Science. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK. gavins@essex.ac.uk
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sandercock
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Voss
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McConnell
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rayner
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D002648:Child; D004739:England; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D012143:Respiratory Physiological Phenomena; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors