title: [Analysis of adiposity and physical fitness in young Colombian students].
abstract: Body mass index and physical fitness are important markers of a healthy life style. Objective: To analyze adiposity and physical fitness in young students from public schools in Armenia, Colombia, and examine differences between sex and age groups. Materials and methods: We analyzed 1,150 students: 46.6% (n=536) males and 53.4% (n=614) females, with an age range of 10 to 20 years (15.45 ± 2.52). Physical fitness was evaluated by the Course-Navette test, the Horizontal Jump test, the 20-meter run test and the Sit-and-Reach test. Body mass index and body fat were also assessed. Results: Compared with males, females had significantly higher adiposity levels, body mass index (20.4 vs. 19.5) and body fat (23% vs. 11%). Males had higher levels of physical fitness in all the variables analyzed, with statistically significant differences (p<0.001), except in flexibility, where females achieved better results (3.1cm vs.1 3cm; p=0.003). In both sexes, body mass index increased with age (p<0.001). However, body fat decreased with age in males (p<0.001) and increased in females (p<0.001). In males, physical fitness improved with age in all variables. In females, no significant differences were found between age groups except in the maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max, p<0.001). Conclusion: Adiposity was significantly higher in women than in men. Males had a better level of physical fitness than females, except in flexibility. Physical fitness improved significantly with age in males, but did not change in females.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, Universidad del Tolima, Ibagué, Colombia. cony0707@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Constanza
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Palomino-Devia
authors.forename: Fernando Manuel
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Otero-Saborido
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: González-Jurado
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D003105:Colombia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity; D010809:Physical Fitness; D013334:Students; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Body composition; age groups; body mass index; motor activity; oxygen consumption; sex