Assessing physical fitness in preschool children: Feasibility, reliability and practical recommendations for the PREFIT battery. Issue 11 (November 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cadenas-Sanchez, Cristina; Martinez-Tellez, Borja; Sanchez-Delgado, Guillermo; Mora-Gonzalez, José; Castro-Piñero, José; Löf, Marie; Ruiz, Jonatan R.; Ortega, Francisco B.
• Is Part Of: Journal of science and medicine in sport. Volume 19:Issue 11(2016)
• Page Start: 910
• Page End: 915
• Publication Date: 2016-11
• Subjects: Preschoolers -- Anthropometry -- Cardiorespiratory fitness -- Muscular strength -- Motor fitness -- Balance; Sports sciences -- Periodicals; Sports medicine -- Periodicals; Exercise -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Sports -- physiology -- Periodicals; Sports Medicine -- Periodicals; Sportgeneeskunde; 617.102705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2016.02.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1440-2440

Abstract

Abstract: Objectives: In childhood (>6 years-old) and adolescence, fitness testing is feasible, reliable and related to later health. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility and reliability of a field-based fitness-test battery in preschool children. Design: Repeated measures. Methods: A total of 161 preschoolers aged 3 to 5 years participated in the study. Anthropometry, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength and motor fitness were tested twice (2 weeks apart) using weight, height, waist circumference, PREFIT 20 m shuttle run, handgrip strength, standing long jump, 4 × 10 m shuttle run and one-leg stance tests, respectively. Results: The main results indicated that all tests are feasible and highly reliable (mean differences, weight = 0.04 kg, height = 0.22 cm, waist circumference = −0.08 cm, PREFIT 20 m shuttle run = 2.00 laps, handgrip strength = −0.24 kg and 4 × 10 m shuttle run = 0.12 s), in preschool children, except for the standing long jump test and one-leg stance test (mean differences of −7.31 cm and 8.01 s). After some methodological adaptations, reliability for standing long jump was improved in a replication study (i.e. from −7 to −2 cm). We observed evidence of heteroscedasticity in the 4 × 10 m shuttle run and one-leg stance tests. Conclusions: The PREFIT battery is a feasible and reliable tool to assess physical fitness in preschool children yet standing long jump has shown mixed findings and requires further studies. The one-leg stance test showed poor reliability in our study and if confirmed by future studies, its use in 3 to 5 years-old would not be recommended. Future studies should consider the mean differences provide in this study to explain the changes in test performance.