Centile Reference Curves of the SLOfit Physical Fitness Tests for School-Aged Children and Adolescents. Issue 2 (20th February 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Blagus, Rok; Jurak, Gregor; Starc, Gregor; Leskošek, Bojan
• Is Part Of: Journal of strength and conditioning research. Volume 37:Issue 2(2023)
• Page Start: 328
• Page End: 336
• Publication Date: 2023-02-20
• Subjects: normative values -- muscular fitness -- cardiorespiratory fitness -- neuromuscular fitness; Physical education and training -- Periodicals; Weight training -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Physical fitness -- Periodicals; 613.7
• DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000004265
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1064-8011

Abstract

Abstract : Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Abstract: Blagus, R, Jurak, G, Starc, G, and Leskošek, B. Centile reference curves of the SLOfit physical fitness tests for school-aged children and adolescents. J Strength Cond Res 37(2): 328–336, 2023—The study provides sex- and age-specific centile norms of Slovenian children and youth. Physical fitness was assessed using the SLOfit test battery on population data, including 185, 222 children, aged 6–19 years, measured in April and May 2018. Centile curves for both sexes and 12 test items were constructed using the generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape (GAMLSS). Boys generally achieved higher scores in most of the physical fitness tests, except in stand and reach, but this was not consistent throughout childhood and adolescence, nor did it pertain to the entire range of performance. Girls outperformed boys in the arm-plate tapping test throughout childhood; the poorest performing girls outperformed the poorest performing boys in the 600-m run, 60-m dash, backward obstacle course, and standing broad jump. The shapes and trends of physical fitness curves adequately reflect the effects of growth and development on boys' and girls' physical performance. Comparing the existing reference fitness curves showed that Slovenian children and adolescents display higher fitness levels than their peers from other countries. This study provides the most up-to-date sex- and age-specific reference fitness centile curves of Slovenian children, which can be used as benchmark values for health and fitness monitoring and surveillance systems.