Effect of School-Based Physical Activity on Health Fitness in Children

Abstract

A total of 227 children (116 men and 111 women), age = 8.8 ± 1.8 years, height = 1.35 ± 0.12 m, weight = 32.8 ± 9.5 kg, BMI = 17.8 ± 2.9 kg/m2, waist circumference (WC) = 63.5 ± 9.2 cm, systolic blood pressure (SBP) = 100 ± 11 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) = 60.0 ± 9.6 mmHg and resting heart rate (HR) = 90 ± 14 bpm completed a six-week school-based physical activity (PA) program. Children were assessed before (Pre) and after (Post) the PA program on health fitness components such as body fat, HR, SBP, DBP, Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) and completed the Physical Activity Questionnaire for older children (PAQ-C) and the Pictorial Physical Activity Questionnaire for Infant (C-PAFI). Anthropometric and Physiological Measurements Resting HR, SBP and DBP were measured by the same technicians after remain comfortably seated for five-minutes using a standardized protocol. SBP and DBP were measured using a automatic sphygmomanometer (Citizen, model HEM-710) with appropriate cuff size for each children. Then, BW and body fat were measured using a (Tanita BC554 Ironman, Arlington Heights, IL 60005 USA), where the children wearing PA clothing and shoes removed. WC were obtained using a waist tape measure where children were on standing position, arms at the sides, feet together and abdomen relaxed. The measurement was taken horizontal above the umbilicus and below the xiphoid process.