title: Are poor physical fitness and obesity two features of the adolescent with Down syndrome?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  "Obesity" is considered a feature of youth with DS but whether "low physical fitness" is also a feature is unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this case-control study was to compare the levels of fatness and fitness in adolescents with and without DS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants included 17 (5 girls) adolescents with DS aged 12-18 years and a control group of 94 (45 girls) adolescents without DS aged 12-16 years. The ALPHA health-related fitness test battery for children and adolescents was selected to assess fatness and fitness in both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no differences in levels of fatness between groups (all P > 0.27). Adolescents with DS had lower levels of fitness in all the tests than adolescents without DS (all P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adolescents with DS have similar levels of fatness and lower levels of fitness than their peers without DS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education, Sport and Human Movement, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Rocío
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Izquierdo-Gomez
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martínez-Gómez
authors.forename: Carlos María
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Tejero-Gonzalez
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cabanas-Sánchez
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruiz Ruiz
authors.forename: Óscar L
authors.initials: ÓL
authors.lastname: Veiga
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001823:Body Composition; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology