ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Despite the health importance of identifying correlates of physical fitness in youth, no investigation to date has explored the influence of behavioral, health-related, and contextual correlates simultaneously. We investigated the hierarchical relationship of multiple modifiable correlates favoring or diminishing cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness in youth. DESIGN: Cross-sectional investigation. METHODS: In a sample of 5174 children and adolescents, 31 correlates were hierarchized according to their impact on cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness assessed using the FITESCOLA® fitness battery. A Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection approach was employed and measures of correlation and association were used to investigate the relationship between physical fitness and correlates. RESULTS: In children, body mass index was the most relevant factor to discriminate between high and low cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness of the upper, middle, and lower body. While body mass index was more important than any other correlate to differentiate levels of upper and lower body muscular fitness during adolescence, specific characteristics of sports participation emerged as key factors to discriminate between high and low cardiorespiratory fitness and middle body muscular fitness. Other correlates, including the self-report of active recess time, active commuting to school, favorable neighborhood conditions, and limited time on screens and cellphones, were demonstrative of favorable physical fitness levels. CONCLUSIONS: Both body composition and sports-related characteristics emerged as the two most relevant factors of physical fitness in youth. Additional health benefits may be obtained from building supportive environments for sports and healthy exercise habits within the household and at different school education levels.