title: 'FIFA 11 for Health' for Europe. II: effect on health markers and physical fitness in Danish schoolchildren aged 10-12 years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether a modified 'FIFA 11 for Health' programme for non-communicable diseases had effects on body composition, blood pressure and physical fitness of Danish schoolchildren aged 10-12 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cluster-randomised controlled study with 7 intervention and 2 control schools.
  
  
  METHODS
  546 Danish 5th grade municipal schoolchildren allocated to an intervention group (IG; n=402: 11.1±0.4 (±SD) years, 150.1±7.0 cm, 41.3±8.4 kg) and a control group (CG; n=144: 11.0±0.5 years, 151.2±7.8 cm, 41.3±9.0 kg).
  
  
  METHODS
  As part of the physical education (PE) curriculum, IG carried out 2 weekly 45 min 'FIFA 11 for Health' sessions focusing on health issues, football skills and 3v3 games. CG continued regular school PE activities. Measurements of body composition, blood pressure at rest, Yo-Yo intermittent recovery level 1 children's test (YYIR1C), balance, jump and sprint performance were performed before and after the 11-week study period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the 11-week study period, systolic blood pressure (-3.5 vs 0.9 mm Hg), mean arterial blood pressure (-1.9 vs 0.4 mm Hg), body mass index (-0.02 vs 0.13 kg/m2) and body fat percentage (-0.83% vs -0.04%) decreased more (p<0.05) in IG than in CG. Within-group improvements (p<0.05) were observed in IG for 20 m sprint (4.09±0.29 to 4.06±0.28 s) and YYIR1C performance (852±464 to 896±517 m), but these changes were not significantly different from CG, and balance or jump performance remained unchanged in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The modified 'FIFA 11 for Health' programme has beneficial effects on body composition and blood pressure for Danish schoolchildren aged 10-12 years, thereby providing evidence that this football-based health education programme can directly impact participants' cardiovascular health profile.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Copenhagen Centre for Team Sport and Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ørntoft
authors.affiliation: Colin Fuller Consultancy Ltd, Sutton Bonington, UK.
authors.forename: Colin W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Copenhagen Centre for Team Sport and Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Malte Nejst
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Copenhagen Centre for Team Sport and Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bangsbo
authors.affiliation: FIFA Medical Assessment and Research Centre, Zurich, Switzerland.|Schulthess Clinic, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jiri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dvorak
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Copenhagen Centre for Team Sport and Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.|Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9843-7320
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krustrup
mesh_terms: D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001823:Body Composition; D002648:Child; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012574:Schools; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Body composition; Cardiovascular; Children; Football; Non-communicable disease