Cardiorespiratory fitness has declined among French children since 1999, although the decline appears to be getting smaller.

BACKGROUND: Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a strong marker of current and future health. The aim of this study was to assess the national temporal trends in CRF for French children and adolescents between 1999 and 2022. METHODS: CRF data were obtained from several cross-sectional studies on 15 420 (51.1% boys) French children and adolescents aged 9-16 years between 1999 and 2022. The 20-m shuttle run test (20mSRT) estimated CRF. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from measured height and body mass, with BMI z-scores (BMIz) calculated using WHO growth curves. The 20mSRT results were corrected for protocol and converted to z-scores (20mSRTz) using international sex- and age-specific norms. With additional adjustment for BMIz, temporal trends in mean 20mSRT performance (20mSRTz) were estimated using linear regression, with the distance max (Dmax) method used to locate a breakpoint and linear segments fitted to points below and above the breakpoint. Trends in distributional characteristics were assessed visually and described as the ratio of the coefficients of variation (CVs). RESULTS: After adjustment for protocol, age, sex, and BMIz, a large decline in mean 20mSRT performance (trend per decade (95% CI): -1.42 SDs (-1.45, -1.39) or -18.4% (95% CI: -18.8, -18.0)) between 1999 and 2022 was found. Dmax located a breakpoint for the two-linear-segment model in year 2010. There was a large decline in mean 20mSRT performance pre-2010 (trend per decade (95% CI): -2.31 SDs (-2.39, -2.24)), which reduced 0.06-fold to a negligible decline post-2010 (trend per decade (95% CI): -0.15 SD (-0.20, -0.10)). We also found that the trend in mean 20mSRT performance was not uniform across the population distribution. Between 1999 and 2022, there was a small trend in distributional asymmetry, with slightly smaller declines experienced by the high performers (above the 75th percentile). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest a large decline in the 20mSRT performance of French children and adolescents since 1999. This declining trend seems to have diminished considerably since 2010. Such declines in CRF could translate into declines in health status. Although a slowing in the declining trend in CRF in recent years is encouraging, more data are needed to confirm these findings.

Physical Fitness Reference Standards in French Youth: The BOUGE Program.

The aim of this study was to establish sex- and age-specific physical fitness percentiles in French youth. A sample of 11,186 children and adolescents (5,546 boys and 5,640 girls), aged between 10 and 15 years, was assessed in the French national BOUGE study. Participants were tested for their cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular endurance, speed, flexibility, and agility using the following tests: 20-m shuttle run tests, curl-ups test, 50-m sprint test, back-saver sit and reach test, and 10 × 5-m shuttle run test. Percentile values were estimated for French youth as a function of age stratified by sex using the generalized additive model for location, scale, and shape (GAMLSS). In general, physical fitness was better in boys than in girls, except for the back-saver sit and reach test, in which girls performed better. Except for the back-saver sit and reach test and 10 × 5-m shuttle run test, physical fitness performance was significantly associated with age. Sex- and age-specific normative values for physical fitness tests in French youth expressed as percentiles from the fifth to the 95th are provided. Reference values provide normative data for French youth. The data are useful in identifying special needs for appropriate intervention programs.

Prevalence of overweight, obesity, underweight and normal weight in French youth from 2009 to 2013.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity in French youth from 2009 to 2013 and to determine if there are differences in weight categories according to socio-economic status. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study performed in different regions of France. Physical measures included weight, height and BMI. Underweight, overweight and obesity were defined according to age- and sex-specific BMI cut-off points from the International Obesity Task Force. SETTING: France. SUBJECTS: Children and adolescents (n 9670; 4836 boys, 4834 girls) from the French national BOUGE Program between 2009 and 2013. RESULTS: The prevalence of obesity was higher in boys than girls (P0·05) and remained unchanged in boys (7·1-7·3 %) between 2009 and 2013. Overweight and obesity were higher in low socio-economic families (P<0·0001). CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that the prevalence of overweight was stable although high in French children and adolescents, while the prevalence of obesity increased significantly. Changes in underweight, although not significant, were high in girls and merit further attention. Improving public health interventions, especially in high-risk low socio-economic populations, may help to modify the behaviour that contributes to underweight, overweight and obesity in young boys and girls.

Reliability of health-related physical fitness tests in adolescents: the MOVE Program.

The aim was to examine the reliability of health-related physical fitness tests that were used in a French health promotion program 'Move…A priority for your health'. Participants were 174 French youth (88 children and 86 adolescents) aged 8·2-16·2 years. Aerobic fitness, muscular strength, speed and flexibility were tested using 20-m shuttle run test, ½ mile run test, basketball throw, standing long jump, shoulder stretch and 20/30/50-m sprint tests. Reliability was calculated for the basketball throw, standing long jump, shoulder stretch and sprint tests. The tests were performed two times, 1 week apart on the same day of the week. Reliability was examined with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Bland-Altman analysis. With the exception of the ½ mile run test, which resulted in moderate agreement (0·66), all tests had high reliability. ICCs were 0·97, 0·93, 0·91 and 0·93 for the sprint test, basketball throw, shoulder stretch and the standing long jump, respectively. The differences obtained between the first and the second trial were non-significant. Results from this study indicate that the BOUGE health-related physical fitness battery, administrated by physical education teachers, was reliable for measuring health-related components of fitness in children and adolescents in a school setting.

Physical fitness levels of adolescents in the Ile de France region: comparisons with European standards and relevance for future cardiovascular risk.

The aim was to assess physical fitness in French schoolchildren in the region of Ile de France and to compare the results with European countries. The relationship between physical fitness and future health profile was of particular interest. Participants were 1851 French youth in the Ile de France region. Cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular endurance, speed, flexibility and speed agility were tested. Independent t-tests were used to compare differences between different variables. Spearman's rho correlation coefficients assessed the relationship between body mass index, socio-economic status and physical fitness. Boys were physically fitter than girls with the most significant difference being in agility. Subjects of normal weight have significantly better results than overweight or obese adolescents (+10·9% to 56·1%) (P<0·05). Subjects with high socio-economic status had better physical fitness than those with low socio-economic status (+0·5% to 9·4%) (P<0·05). Results also showed that the percentage of adolescents at increased future cardiovascular risk was 15·3% and 10·2% for boys and girls, respectively. Physical fitness in French schoolchildren living in the region of Ile de France is relatively low and unfavourable, especially in girls, when compared with existing European test results. In contrast, the adolescent boys are generally fitter and also above the average of the European data. Introducing a health promotion curriculum in the schools of Ile de France is suggested to improve health and physical fitness.